Christmas Miracles
by magicalriot
Summary: Unwilling to leave Brennan alone on Christmas, Booth drags her off to meet his family. Three days with the Booth family forces Brennan to look at the world - and her partner - in a very different way. BB friendship, maybe romance.
1. Chapter 1

I have seen up to the end of season two, so this fits in at a Christmas sometime after that.

I hope you enjoy!

Please review and let me know if I should continue with this story!

"Hey, Bones, you still here?" Special Agent Seely Booth called across the quiet lab. He could already see the light on in her office, but since she almost knocked him unconscious last time he surprised her, he figured it was best to give her fair warning.

"In here, Booth," she called back. He reached the door to her office, where his partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan, was yet to look up from whatever she was typing on her laptop.

"I need your signature on a few things so I can hand them in before everything shuts down for Christmas." He threw the yellow folder on her desk and collapsed onto her couch.

"I still fail understand the assumption that life should take some sort of 'time out' just because one religious community decrees it to be a holiday."

Booth rolled his eyes, listening to the rant he had been subjected to numerous times over the last two weeks – normally every time he dared to ask her what her plans were for the holiday.

Brennan finally dragged her eyes from her laptop, flicking open the file instead. Her eyes scanned the documents, signing quickly and efficiently. Closing the folder again, she glanced over at her partner for the first time that night. Instantly, she noticed the tense set of his shoulders, the slight tightness of the muscle in his neck. She knew him well enough to pick up the indicators of when something was wrong.

"Booth… What happened?" Brennan asked cautiously, standing up and walking over to the couch.

He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "I didn't say anything was wrong."  
Brennan sat down on the couch next to him. "I'm sorry, I just assumed because of the tension visibly present in your musculature that you were under some sort of duress." She tilted her head to the side, applying her quick mind to the problem of Booth's concern. "It's two days before Christmas. By now you're usually worried about not getting Parker a good enough gift. But I know you already bought him a bike…" Brennan watched as Booth shifted at the mention of Parkers name. "It's something to do with Parker?"  
Booth lent back on the couch, picking moodily at his fraying jeans. "Rebecca 'decided' that he was going with her to visit her family, rather than our usual arrangement. It means that next year, I get him all to myself, but for this year…" He sighed again. "I'm going home to visit my family instead. Without Parker."  
Brennan felt a rush of sympathy for her partner, understanding the need he felt to spend Christmas with his son. "I'm sorry, Booth," she said warmly, placing her hand over his. His lips twitched in a slight smile.

"It's alright." Booth shook his head, trying to clear the melancholy. "He really liked the bike. I got to give it to him early. They left this afternoon. So," he paused, giving Brennan time to pull her hand away and reassert the distance between them. "What are you doing for the holiday you refuse to acknowledge?"

Brennan frowned. "I don't refuse to acknowledge Christmas, Booth. I give gifts to those I care about," she said defensively.

He nodded, conceding to that point. Since their Christmas trapped in the lab with a deadly virus, she had become much more open to the giving and receiving of gifts. "True. But you didn't answer my question."  
Brennan tilted her chin, looking over at her desk. "I'll go visit my father, and then I'll get some work done on my novel."

"What? I thought Angela and Hodgins invited you to go with them?" He asked, hardly surprised that she had turned down their offer.

"I didn't want to intrude on their first Christmas as a couple," she admitted.

"Well, you're not spending another Christmas on your own. I'm putting my foot down," he said emphatically. She glanced at him in confusion

"On what?"  
He blinked. "Huh?"

"What are you putting your foot down on top of? I don't understand."

He sighed in frustration. "It's a figure of speech, Bones, it means…. You know what? Never mind. Come with me to visit my family."

Brennan gaped at him. "Booth, I don't want to…"

"You would not be intruding, you would be doing me a favour," he insisted. "They've wanted to meet you for ages, now they'll stop pestering me. Come on. Please? Would you really deny me this small favour at Christmastime?" He turned the full force of his pleading eyes on her, and watched as she relented.

"I -."

"Great! So we'll leave tomorrow at around midday, and we should get there at six-ish. I'll even let you drive." He grinned at her stunned expression. "I'll send Angela over to help you pack. Nice clothes, Bones. Dresses. We go to church and go out for dinner at a friends place."

He stood up and stretched. "But right now, I think it's time for bed. Want a ride home?"  
She shook her head mutely.

"OK. Take tomorrow off, like normal people. Go visit your Dad."

Finally, Brennan found her voice. "You can't just abduct me and take me to your family with a day's notice! I have plans, commitments! I promised my dad I would visit on Christmas day!"  
Booth lent down, his face centimetres from hers. "And I promised your father that I would take care of you. What kind of friend lets his partner be alone on Christmas? I'll pick you up tomorrow morning, and I'll come with you to visit your father. See you at 10?" Unable to resist, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her face. "Sleep tight, Bones."  
He walked jauntily out of her office, leaving Brennan feeling like she had just lost control over her own life.

Angela searched franticly through her handbag for her ringing cell phone, finally managing to catch hold and press the talk button moments before it went to voice mail.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Angela. It's Booth."

Angela glanced around at the crowded shopping centre and made her way over to a quiet corner. "Hey, sweetie. Have you dragged Bren out of the office yet?"

"That's kind of why I'm calling. I invited her to come home with me for Christmas."  
Angela beamed at her phone. "Taking her home to meet the family? Nice move, G-man. I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well, now I need your help."  
Angela looked guiltily at the few shopping bags she had managed to accumulate. "What with? I'm kind of struggling with some last minute shopping here."

"I need you to help her pack – and to make sure she's actually going to come."

Angela checked her watch. If she hurried here…

"Sure. Let me guess? Decent outfit for church, nice dress for Christmas dinner… any other requests? I'm sure I could convince her to pack that lingerie I b-."

"Angela… let's not push her too far, OK?"

Angela sighed. "You're no fun. I'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Ange."

She smiled at the sincerity in his voice. "No problems."  
She hung up her phone, sliding in back into her bag. As though by divine chance, her eyes alighted on a dress in the window of a store. She grinned. "At least this makes getting her Christmas gift easier."

Brennan looked imploringly at the open suitcase on her bed, wishing the inanimate object could offer up a few suggestions. Every rational thought process told her to empty out the practical necessities she had already packed, to call Booth and tell him she couldn't come. But the irrational, emotional need to not be alone this time of year seemed to be winning out. She sighed. She had been spending way too much time around the emotionally governed Booth and Angela.

At that point, her musings were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

"Sweetie, open up. I'm here to help."

Brennan opened the door and let in her best friend, followed quickly by Hodgins and Zack.

"What… what are you all doing here?" She asked, baffled, as Hodgins plonked himself on her couch and Zack examined the artefacts on her bookshelves.

"We figured, since you were going away with Booth, we would come over and give you our presents now." Angela beamed, holding out a medium-sized package wrapped in silver tissue paper. "Merry Christmas, Sweetie."

"Angela…" Brennan murmured, taking the gift. "Thank you."  
Hodgins scooted up on the couch, hanging his head over the arm. "Come on, Brennan, open it up. Ange has been itching to see what you think." Brennan shot a smile at Hodgins, before carefully unwrapping the gift. From the mess of tissue paper, she pulled a dress made of delicate blue fabric. It had thin, beaded straps that crossed over at the back, merging neatly into a line of beads on the heart-shaped neckline. It was fitted around the bust, the beading continuing in intricate patterns across the top, before falling loosely to the knee.

"Oh, Angela," she gasped. "It's beautiful."  
Angela smiled smugly. "That is your Christmas dinner dress. Jack?"  
Hodgins stood up obediently and handed Brennan a black bag. "I don't believe in wrapping paper," he told her obstinately.

"Thank you," Brennan said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a pair of shoes that matched the exact shade of the silver beads. She grinned at Hodgins. "Thank you, both of you."

Zack suddenly pulled himself away from his examination of the room. "Oh, that would make it my turn. Merry Christmas, Dr. Brennan," he said, handing her a heavy package wrapped messily in paper covered with images of Santa. She knew what it would be before she even removed the paper, and was proved right when she ripped it off to reveal the latest anthropological journal.

She smiled at her ex-student, feeling tears of gratitude forming in her eyes at the actions of her friends. "Thank you." She lent over and kissed Zack's cheek. He blushed furiously.

"Wait here, one second," Brennan said before disappearing into her room. She emerged seconds later, a pile of gifts balancing precariously in her arms. She gently laid them down on her couch, before picking up the first and handing it to Zack. He took it without a word, removing the paper deftly from the conical shaped package and glancing up at her in surprise as he was met with a large plastic tube.

"Open it," Brennan insisted. Zack pulled off the top of the canister, taking from within it a rolled up piece of card. Unrolling it, he was met with a large and detailed world map.

In the spot that indicated Iraq on the map, Brennan had placed a red dot. She handed Zack the second part of his gift, which she had not bothered to wrap. It was a brown, leather bound journal.

"You should never forget the places you travel too, or what you learn from those experiences, Zack. This way, you never will." Zack carefully rolled up the map once more, placing it back inside the cylinder and putting it aside. Then he turned to his mentor and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, Dr. Brennan."  
She smiled. "You're welcome, Dr. Addy."

They broke apart as a throat was cleared from behind them. "That's sweet, and all," Hodgins said, "But it's late, and the rest of those presents are looking pretty good."  
Brennan's mouth twitched. "You're as impatient as Booth." She pulled the next item off her couch and handed it to Hodgins.

The group all laughed as he ripped the paper off with the gusto of a six year old on Christmas morning.

"Wooow…" Hodgins breathed as he took in the heavy, expensive book in his hands. "Where the hell did you find this?"

Brennan shrugged. "I came across it when I was on an assignment with Booth. I figured you might like it."

"Like it? I love it! Thank you!"  
Angela rolled her eyes. "Give the guy a book on bugs and you'd think it was a winning lottery ticket."

Hodgins snorted. "This isn't just any book on bugs. This is THE book on bugs." He glanced up at the amused face of his fiancé. "You wouldn't understand." He sighed dramatically, taking over Brennan's spare armchair with his book.

Brennan felt a warm glow at how well received her first two gifts were. She took the last item off the couch – a small, thin envelope.

"Merry Christmas, Ange." She handed the white paper to her best friend.

Angela opened it quickly, pulling out the card inside. "Oh, Bren…"

"What? You don't like it?" Brennan said quickly, her stomach sinking. "I'm sure I could get a refun-."

The arms thrown around her neck cut her off. "A day at a celebrity spa? Brennan! Why would I not like it? Thank you."

Brennan hugged Angela back, relieved. "You're welcome."  
When Angela released her, the two women glanced at the males on the furniture – Hodgins absorbed in his book, and Zack busy writing everything he could remember about Iraq with the pen Brennan had clipped inside the journal.

"Now, while they're busy…" Angela grabbed Brennan's dress and shoes. "Let's get you packed, shall we?"  
*******

It took half an hour for Angela to be satisfied with the contents of Brennan's suitcase. It was just past midnight when she closed it up. "Done. And we did good, if I do say so myself."

"Mmhm." Brennan agreed, staring distractedly at the floor.

Angela sighed. "Just roll with it, Sweetie. Don't analyse, don't question… just be happy that you're spending Christmas with your partner and his family. OK?"  
Brennan looked sharply at Angela, her blue eyes containing something similar to panic. "I don't do families, Angela! He has a brother with three kids and a wife, and parents, and I do parents even worse than I do kids! Anthropologically speaking, taking me home to meet his family is some sort of test that I can either emerge from with a stronger relationship to Booth or as someone he no longer wishes to spend time with, depending on his family's impressions of my nature. And my nature is not one that promotes easy friendship."

Her friend looked so nervous that Angela couldn't help but laugh. "Sweetie, it's OK to be scared."

"I'm not scared! I will be in no physical danger, therefore…"

She trailed off at the amused expression on Angela's face. "Maybe I'm a little scared." She admitted.

"Booth will take care of you," Angela said with a sigh, lying back on Brennan's bed. "His family could hate you with a passion and that guy would still be dragging you from life-threatening situations."  
Brennan lay back beside her friend. "His alpha-male tendencies do seem to centre around protecting me."

"Uh-huh," Angela agreed sleepily, yawning widely. "Sweetie, I think it's time that I got those two home."

Both women stood up and walked back into the lounge room, where Zack had fallen asleep on the couch, journal open on his stomach and pen fallen to the floor. Hodgins hadn't seemed to notice any passage of time, his eyes still roaming page after antique page.

"Come on, you two. Up. We're leaving." Angela clapped her hands loudly. Zack stirred first, almost falling the floor in his attempt to stand up. He looked like he had before receiving his doctorate – messy haired and sleep affected. He gathered up his things as though on autopilot, while Angela attempted to drag Hodgins away from his book. Brennan watched, as a few whispered promises in his ear seemed to do the trick.

"Thank you, everyone." Brennan said with a smile as she walked them to the door. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," they chorused, Angela kissing her on the cheek.

"Have fun, Bren. Don't be too good." Angela wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. Brennan rolled her eyes and pushed her out the door in response.

She closed the door and turned back to her empty apartment, back the concerns for the next few days that were sure to keep her up all night.


	2. Chapter 2

By 9.30, Brennan was completely prepared to leave. Bags packed, showered, teeth brushed.

By 9.45, she had even moved her suitcase to beside the door.

By 10.00, she had done her hair for the third time and checked that she had the presents for the fourth time.

By 10.15, she was considering dragging out her punching bag and gluing a picture of Booth's face to it.

Booth's knock on the door at 10.25 was cut short by Brennan flinging open the door and pushing past him, suitcase already in hand.

"There's another bag by the door," she called frostily over her shoulder, leaving Booth to grab the bag and lock up her apartment, more than a little bewildered.

He had taken her to see her father before, of course. He even conversed with Max himself, regularly. The two of them had an understanding that frequently got Brennan very, very angry. Booth had always thought it was cute. But there was nothing cute about her chilly reception this morning.

"Am I allowed to ask what's wrong?" He asked teasingly as they pulled onto the road.

"No." She answered flatly, her arms crossed over her body defensively. Booth forced a smile at the unreceptive windscreen. This was going to be a long day.

Reaching the prison, he raced around her side of the car in time to open her door for her. She merely glared at him, climbing out of the car and snatching up her bag.

"I am perfectly capable of opening doors on my own! I truly resent the implication that I, as a female, am too weak or fragile to take care of myself," she spat out, pushing past him. Booth smiled in relief. Whatever he had done was forgivable, if she was still talking to him enough to give him a lecture. He followed her closely into the prison, reluctant as always to let her out of his sight when she visited.

"I'm very, very sorry," he whispered in her ear as they waited for the guard to let them in. She swatted at him, stepping away to put a bit of space between them.

"You don't even know why I'm angry. How can you be sorry?" There was more curiosity than annoyance in her tone now.

"I'm guessing it was something to do with me being late, and probably because I sent Angela around last night, and also because you hate it when I abduct you from your work." He said, looking directly into her eyes. He watched in amusement as her mouth opened slightly then closed again. His mouth quirked. If there was one thing that could send Temperance Brennan speechless, it was her partner figuring out exactly what was going through her head. Especially when she thought she hid it so well.

Booth smirked as she turned back to the guard, who let them through after examining the gift she had bought for her father. Booth guided her through the doorway with a hand resting gently on her lower back.

"Hi, honey," Max said with an enthusiastic smile, kissing his daughters cheek. "Hello, Agent Booth."

"Hi Dad," Brennan said briskly, sitting down in the chair opposite him. Booth settled down next to her, waving his greeting to Max.

"This is an early visit," Max said, reaching across the table in an attempt to capture Brennan's hand. "I wasn't expecting you till tomorrow."  
Brennan slid her hands away from her fathers and under the table. "Actually, I can't come tomorrow. Booth is abducting me." She shot him a dark look. He grinned childishly in response.

"Where exactly are you stealing my daughter away to, Agent Booth?" Booth looked up at Max sharply, wondering if he was imagining the approval in the other man's tone.

"I'm taking her to my family for Christmas."

The smile on Max's face couldn't be taken as anything other than endorsement of the plan. "I'm glad you're making sure she's not alone for Christmas."  
Brennan looked huffily at her father. "I am perfectly capable -."

"Of taking care of yourself," the men chorused.

"We know, Bones," Booth said with a smirk. "But why don't you let me take care of you, for a change?"  
She scowled venomously at her partner, missing Max's amused glance at Booth. He shrugged. _What can you do?_

Booth settled back, letting his mind drift as father and daughter caught up. Not for the first time, he was struck by the similarities between them. The stubbornness, their dedication, their intelligence…their survival instincts. The drive to take care of their loved ones. The primary difference that Booth saw was that Max was more emotional, ruled by his feelings to a degree that his daughter ever allowed herself to be. Not that that was a bad thing, he amended. He knew, only too well, how life got through that icy exterior of hers. Hell, he was probably one of the only people in the world to ever be permitted to hold her when she cried. It gave him a jolt of surprise to think that the only other man ever allowed to do that was sitting right in front of him. Brennan's emotions may not rule her like her fathers did him, but she still felt. And that was where most people failed to understand her.

He smiled softly, watching her animated face as she told her father about their latest case. If Booth was honest with himself, he liked being the only one able to decipher her.

"So, honey, I got something for you," Max said, sliding a wrapped box across the table. She glanced at it, then across at Booth, and then back at the box.

"You helped?" She accused Booth. There was no real annoyance in her tones.

"Just a little, Bones. Now open your present."  
She bit her lip as she concentrated on the little package, gently sliding off the ribbon and undoing the sticky tape, unravelling the paper with caution and patience.

Max rolled his eyes and looked at Booth. "You should have seen her at Christmas as a kid. Russ would have the living room covered in shreds of wrapping paper, already playing with one thing or another, and Temperance would be still taking off the paper."  
Booth held back a grin.

Finally, she pulled off the last bit of paper, to reveal a dark green velvet jewellery box. She pushed the lid up, revealing a sliver bracelet with a small silver dolphin charm attached. Underneath the dolphins nose was a tiny circular sapphire.

Booth watched her face light up as she touched the bracelet.

"Oh, Dad, it's beautiful. Thank you," she lent over the table and hugged him.

Then, surprisingly, she hugged Booth too. He froze in shock, before his senses returned to him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you for helping him."  
She let him go too soon, Booth thought. But he settled back into his chair, letting Max help her put the bracelet he had chosen out on her wrist. Max's only demand was that it have a dolphin on it, and be a rounded chain. Booth had complied, choosing one he deemed to be the right size. The little sapphire was something extra that Max had praised him for thinking of.

He hadn't expected her to figure out so quickly the hand he had played in the gift, but then again, it was Bones. Her brain moved faster than a Japanese freight train.

"I got something for you, too, Dad," Brennan said shyly, pulling out the package she had not been allowed to wrap and passing it across the table.

It was a pack of cards, the only thing she had thought of that he would be allowed to keep. Max opened the box and slid out the cards, smiling happily as three photos fell out. Brennan blushed and shot a glance at Booth – she had been hoping her father wouldn't do that until after they left.

Booth lent forward on the table to catch a better look at what had made his partner so uncomfortable.

The first picture was a family photo, taken before her parents left. She had a copy of it on her desk at work, and on her bookshelves at home, Booth remembered.

The second photo was the picture that had been featured in the newspaper article about the Jeffersonian – the image of the team standing around an autopsy table.

But it was the last photo that made Booth grin madly; knowing it was the one she had wanted to hide from him.

It had been taken with the disposable camera he had insisted she buy, so that they really looked the part of tourists. Also part of the ruse was handing it to a Chinese man to take a picture of the 'happy couple'.

Roxie and Tony, both smiling so broadly you'd have no trouble assuming they really were newlyweds.

Booth had printed out the photo and had left it on her desk after her father left, when he knew she was feeling down. She never mentioned it, but from that day on the picture sat in a frame in the top draw of her desk. He found it by accident one day when looking for a case file.

"Huh," Max looked up at his embarrassed daughter and her beaming partner. "That's a great photo."  
Booth nudged Brennan. "Pretty sure I've told you that before."

"No," she asserted. "You told me I looked good in that dress. You never said anything regarding the photograph."  
Max raised an eyebrow. "You do look good, honey."

"We were undercover in Vegas," Booth explained.

The guard rapped on the door. Booth didn't miss the slight disappointment on Brennan's face.

"Come on, Bones," he said quietly, getting to his feet. He reached across the table, hand extended. "Merry Christmas, Max."

"You too, Booth. Make sure she has a good one." Max shook his hand firmly.

"I plan on it."  
Brennan planted her hands on her hips. "Are you two done?"  
Booth grinned. "Fine, lets go." He headed over to the door, waiting there while Brennan embraced her father.

"Merry Christmas, honey. I love you."

"Merry Christmas, Dad." Brennan whispered back, unable to add those three words.

She cast him one last look, before joining Booth at the door. The Agent instantly rested his hand on her back, guiding her out into the corridor.

Max watched them go, feeling a measure of comfort regarding the physical and emotional wellbeing of his daughter that he hadn't felt in years. He waited until they were out of view before he turned back to the card sized photos, flipping them over. On the back of each of the three photos were two words: 'My Family'.

"You promised I could drive!"

"Yeah, but not yet, Bones! We still have to go via the Jeffersonian. Surely it can wait until we actually get out on the open road?"

"I'm not going to kill us driving to the Jeffersonian, Booth!"

"I never said - ."

"You implied."  
Booth slumped his head back. "Bones, you're impossible, you know that, right?"  
Brennan smirked, twisting the bracelet around on her wrist. "I have been told that more than once." She paused. "Thank you, for the bracelet."

"I told you, Bones. It was all your father."

She smiled down at her hands. "Right. But my father has hardly seen me in fifteen years, Booth. How would he know that I wear silver, or that my favourite stone is sapphire?"

Booth shrugged. "Maybe he asked Angela."

Brennan rolled hers. "Angela is terrified of him, and I know you visit him when I'm not there, and …"

Booth smirked across at her. "And what, Bones?"  
She bit her lip. "And, over our time working together, you have come to know me quite well."

Booth just smiled as they pulled in to the Jeffersonian car park.

"Sure. God knows this place owes you a few days of vacation." Cam smiled up at Brennan from behind her desk. "May I ask why the late notice?"  
Brennan scowled. "Apparently you don't need to give advance notice when kidnapping someone."

Cam raised an eyebrow.

"Booth is taking me to his family for Christmas," Brennan explained sourly.

Cam's eyes widened. "Wow."  
Brennan nodded and signed the piece of paper Cam slid across to her.

"OK, Brennan, you're done. Have a good Christmas."

"You too, Cam." Brennan smiled quickly at her boss then turned to leave.

"Oh, and Brennan?" She stopped. "Booth's mother doesn't like scientists. And his father is always really quiet, it's not because he hates you."

Brennan forced a smile. "Thank you for the insight."

She left, striding quickly towards where Booth waited, glancing impatiently at his watch.

He let her drive. But even with the distraction of her hands being on the wheel, her silence was unusual.

"Bones?" Booth began, turning down the radio. "Is everything OK?"

Brennan's jaw clenched, just fractionally. "I'm fine, Booth. Just concentrating on driving. You were the one concerned about my driving expertise; I'm sure you would prefer I gave it my full attention."

"No, I'd prefer you weren't upset for some unknown reason. What happened, Bones?"  
She sighed. "Just drop it, OK, Booth?"  
He lent back into his seat, turning the radio up so that it created a barrier between them. "Fine."

Ten minutes later, Brennan switched off the radio. Silence followed for a few seconds.

"Cam warned me that your mother doesn't like scientists."  
Booth nearly chocked on the sip of water he was taking. Swallowing carefully and replacing the lid, he put away the water before considering his reply. Was she upset that Cam had met his parents, or that his mother didn't like squints?

It had to be the squints part, right?

"Actually, my mother just didn't like Cam."  
Brennan cleared her throat. "Did they meet this time, or last time?"  
Booth took a deep breath. "Last time, kind of by accident. They came to visit me and Parker, and Cam didn't get out of the house in time." He chuckled at the memory. "Cam, as you know, can be quite, er, _forward_. My mother didn't stop lecturing me about the 'rough' girl I was dating until we split up."

Brennan nodded, noticeably more relaxed, and turned on the radio again. This time, it was quiet enough to be background music.

OK, next chapter they'll actually get to meet Booth's family, I promise!

Um, there will be an adjustment to the first chapter since I realised I screwed up the timeline.

And I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of a smallish town, about a 6, 7 hour drive from D.C, where I could set the rest of the story?  
Since I have no idea where his family are supposed to live, I'm taking artistic licence, but some help would be appreciated.

Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Brennan put off waking him for as long as possible. When he was awake, her partner had a habit of asking difficult questions that she didn't like answering. When he was awake, he noticed things about her that everyone else missed. But now they had driven into the town, she really didn't have any other choice.

"Booth," she said, still trying to concentrate on driving. He mumbled something incomprehensible, stirring slightly before he settled down against the window again.

"Booth!" Brennan said sharply. He shot up this time, cracking his head against the window frame.

"Ouch, Bones!" He muttered darkly, glaring at his clearly amused partner. She just raised her eyebrows and returned her eyes to the road.

"I need to know where to go." She stated.

"I'll gladly tell you where to go," he shot back. Brennan shook her head slightly.

"What?"

"Never mind. Take a left here."  
Brennan complied with his directions, wishing she could still the nervous squirming of her stomach. It wasn't like her and Booth were dating – there was no need for her to feel this sort of pressure. They were simply two partners, sharing Christmas with one another. What his parent's thought of her was of no consequence.

"Did you hear me, Bones? The brick house there."  
Brennan had to slam on the breaks in order to pull up in front of the house he referred to. Booth gripped the armrest, but wisely refrained from commenting.

Booth saw his brothers car parked on the lawn, and was struck with the excitement that inevitably accompanied Christmas and seeing his family. "Come on, Bones, lets go!"  
He practically jumped out of the car, racing around the back to unpack their bags.

Brennan followed more slowly, trying to breath evenly. The degree of her anxiety bothered her.

"You OK, Bones?" Booth asked as he handed her bag over.

She smiled distractedly. "Yes, Booth, I'm fine."  
He took her bag back. "No, you're not." He examined her face, and then grinned. "You're nervous about meeting my family!" Booth said triumphantly.

"I am not, I'm just - ."

"Scared that they won't like you?" Booth offered, enjoying her discomfort perhaps more than necessary.

She scowled and stole her bag back from him, pushing him aside to reach her suitcase.

"Hey, Bones," he said softly, grabbing her hand to still her. "Don't worry, OK? They're going to love you."  
She looked up at him in surprise. "As a general rule, Booth, people don't like me very much. I don't make a good first impression."  
Brennan tensed as he slung an arm across her shoulders. "Just be yourself, Bones. And try to talk English, OK? My family don't speak squint."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. Booth shut the rear doors. "Ready?"  
Brennan nodded and followed Booth up the driveway. As they reached the door, Booth turned to her. "Oh, Bones, um, just don't mention the whole God-is-my-imaginary-friend thing, please? My whole family is Catholic, and atheism doesn't go well at Christmastime."  
She bit her lip and stared at him. "You want me to lie?"  
Booth's eyes widened guiltily. "No. No! I mean, if someone asks you, tell them you don't believe in God. Just don't give them the whole Da Vinci Code conspiracy lecture, kay?"

Her eyebrows drew together. "I don't know what that means."  
He rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't. Come on. Let's go."  
Booth knocked three times on the door, his hand instinctively drifting to Brennan's back.

"Come in, Seely!" Came the reply from within. Brennan exchanged one frightened look with Booth before he opened the door and ushered her in.

"Just in time for dinner!" A voice echoed from a large doorway to their left. Booth gestured for Brennan to put down her bags in the hall before they headed towards the low hum of voices.

The first things she noticed about the room were the photographs. All over the wooden walls hung photo frames, depicting various stages of growth of two boys, wedding photo's, pictures of three younger kids and, surprisingly, a photo of her and Booth at last year's FBI Christmas party.

But her attention was quickly drawn to the large rectangular table, surrounded by her partner's family.

She had moments to look at the array of people, before they all seemed to climb to their feet and rush at Booth.

"Seely!"

"Good to see you, bro."

"Uncle Seely!"

Brennan watched as he embraced each member of his family, before pulling her forward and introducing her.

"Everyone, meet my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is my mother, Allison," He indicated to a dark headed woman wearing an apron as she carried a pot of something resembling soup. Brennan was struck by her wide smile and friendly face, and wondered how Cam could have taken a dislike to this woman.

"Nice to meet you, honey," Allison gushed, kissing Brennan's cheek warmly. "We've heard so much about you."

"You too," Brennan offered, smiling. She could tell the woman was inspecting her carefully, making up her mind.

"And this is my sister-in-law, Shelly," he gestured to the woman who had emerged from the kitchen with Allison. Shelly was tall and slender, with long blonde hair tied back in a braid. She couldn't help but be reminded of Booth's ex, Tessa.

"Nice too meet you, Dr. Brennan," Shelly said, her smile slightly forced as they shook hands.

Brennan smiled back.

"These are the rugrats," Booth said, scooping up a little girl with a shock of blonde hair and resting her on his hip as she giggled. "Lexie, Ben and James." He waved over the two little boys, who approached slightly shyly. She waved at them and smiled as kindly as she could manage while so overwhelmed. They moved back to their seats quickly.

"How old are they?" Brennan asked Booth as he tickled Lexie.

"Lex here is 3, and the twins are 6," he explained before putting Lexie down, allowing her to run back to her mother.

"Do you always wait till last to introduce your brother?" Came a teasing voice from beside them. Brennan glanced up, only to be surprised by a familiar face.

"Bones, this is my big brother, Jared." Booth explained as the older man grabbed him in a headlock. She couldn't help but laugh and bite back a spiel about asserting Alpha-Male control. Booth had said stick to English.

"Nice to meet you," she offered as the two finally broke apart.

"You too," Jared said, shaking her hand. "You must be pretty tolerant to put up with my brother here." Once more, she was struck by the similarities between the brothers, in their facial shape. Jared, however, seemed to have inherited their mother's light hazel eyes.  
Booth slung an arm across her shoulders. "Bone's doesn't know the meaning of tolerant. It's me that has to put up with her," he joked.

"Hey!" she objected. "You can be very annoying."  
Jared laughed. "Good. Don't let him boss you around."  
Booth rolled his eyes. "Jared, talk to her for five minutes and you'll realise that I never stood a chance."  
Brennan flinched as she heard a door slam behind them.

"It's getting chilly out there. I reckon we might actually get snow this year."

Booth spun her around towards the gruff voice. "Hey, Dad!"  
He released her to hug his father, before turning back to her with an excited grin. "Dad, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is my Dad, Mike."

Brennan extended her hand shyly, and met his eyes. It was like looking at an older image of her partner, his warm brown eyes and charming smile welcoming her. "Call me Tempe," she offered, her confidence suddenly boosted by the familiarity.

Booth raised his eyebrows at her.

"Come on, dinner is served!" Brennan turned at the brisk voice of Booth's mother.

"Didn't I tell you they'd like you?" Booth said in her ear as he guided her back into the dining room and into a chair beside his. As Brennan glanced around at the crowded table, she felt herself relax a little. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she had imagined.

"So how long have you guys worked together?" Jared asked around a mouthful of potato. Allison shot him a look, and Jared grinned apologetically in reply.

"Nearly three years," Booth replied proudly, looking at his partner. "Bones and I have put away a fair few killers in that time."

"Bones?" Shelly questioned.

Brennan smiled smugly at Booth. "He's called me that since the day we met. I gave up asking him not to after a few weeks."

"A few weeks? You didn't give up for months!" Booth complained.

"Yes, but by that point I was only objecting to annoy you." Brennan pointed out.

Laughter broke out around the table.

"Well, I think that is no way for you to address such a lovely lady," Mike offered, taking a scoop of peas from the centre of the table.

"Mike is right, honey. While you are here, I would like to you call Tempe by her correct name." Allison said with finality.

"But Mom - ."

Allison silenced her son with a raised eyebrow.

Brennan watched in amazement, wishing instantly that she had that skill.

"Fine. Tempe, would you please pass the butter?" He asked innocently. She bit her lip to stop a laugh and passed him the dish.

"What is that you do, Tempe?" Shelly asked, a little coldly, Brennan thought. She made a note to ask Booth about it later.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist, meaning I examine human - ."  
Booth cut in. "She looks at bones." He gave her a warning look and lent in to whisper in her ear. "We're eating. And there are kids here."

"Oh." She smiled sheepishly. "I understand."

Allison exchanged a glance with her husband. Neither had missed the quick discussion between their son and his partner. While he insisted that she was merely his 'partner and friend', Allison saw something more in the way they communicated. Content to observe her son and his partner, she resumed eating as they conversed with her other son and his wife.

"Tempe, honey, I've set up the spare room for you. Seely will be right next door if you need anything," Allison told her, leading her down the hallway and to an open wooden door. The room was small, but white paint and well-placed furniture gave the impression of a bigger space. "Thank you, Mrs. Booth."

Allison waved a hand. "Honey, don't you dare. We use first names here."  
Brennan smiled at her. "Thank you, Allison." She tried to recall something of etiquette. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you, Tempe." Allison patted her arm before leaving her alone in the room. Brennan put her bags down, letting out a deep breath. While she felt that the first meeting had gone relatively well, and Booth had managed to pull her up before she referred to anything too scientific or gruesome, it was still an effort to maintain such a pleasant demeanour.

Deciding to take a shower to both relax her and freshen her up after their hours of travel, Brennan walked into the connected bathroom looking for towels, only to realise that another door was attached to the bathroom. Brennan calculated hurriedly and figured that she would be sharing a bathroom with Booth.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time, she told herself sternly, still searching for towels. In Vegas they shared a room! And she couldn't count how many times she had fallen asleep on his couch, or him on hers. They were used to sharing. So why did the thought of merely having a bathroom between them feel somehow intimate?  
Deciding that it would be quicker to simply ask where the towels were kept, Brennan tapped on the door to Booth's room. Receiving no answer, she exited her room and headed for the lounge, where four figures sat on the floor, surrounded in mounds of wrapping paper.

"Booth," she called.

Three heads snapped up. "Yeah?  
She flushed with embarrassment. "I suppose I need to be a little more specific while I'm here, don't I?"

Her partner left his brother, mother and father and walked over to her. He shoved his hands in his back pockets, leaning in to invade her personal space, as usual. "I guess you have to be. It's only fair, Bo-Tempe." He corrected.

"Fine." Brennan gave a small, determined smile, the face he was used to seeing when she was given a challenge. "I was wondering if you could tell me where I would find towels, _Seely_."  
He grinned widely. Hearing her say his first name pleased him more than he had imagined. "Cupboard on the right hand side of the hallway, opposite the door to my room."  
She raised her chin. "Thank you."

Booth shook his head as she walked away, and then returned to helping his family wrap the Santa gifts for the finally sleeping children.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm a little bit fond of this chapter, so let me know what you think!

Thanks!

Booth came into her room as she was towel drying her hair.

"Hey," she said in surprise. "How is the gift-wrapping going?"  
Booth shrugged and settled down on the single bed. "Done. When there's five people working on it, the job goes quickly." He looked up at Brennan. "So was meeting my family as terrifying as you imagined?"  
Brennan threw her towel at him, only to have Booth catch it and throw it back, chuckling. Brennan tossed it to the floor, running her fingers through her hair before coming to sit on the bed next to Booth.

"No," she admitted. "And your mother doesn't seem at all prejudged against scientists."

Booth laughed. "Hate to say I told you so, Bones."  
She scowled.

Booth stood up and stretched. "Come on. The others are out in the lounge. Come have a beer."  
Brennan allowed Booth to pull her off the bed and lead her into the lounge room, where his family gathered on an unmatched assortment of couches and armchairs. Jared sat with his arm around his wife on a red faux leather couch, while Mike sat in a matching armchair right next to the Christmas tree. Allison was perched on the arm of his chair, resting comfortably beside her husband.

Brennan followed Booth to the empty two-seater couch, a faded green suede item that failed to match anything else in the room. It seemed to be a theme throughout the house, which was decorated more for comfort and sentimentality than aesthetics.

Booth handed her a beer silently, which she took while settling into the couch.

"…and then, I turned to Jackson and I said, 'My fault? What are you talking about? I'm fairly sure it wasn't my idea to take the weekend off'." Jared finished with a smile. Shelly sipped her water, appearing bored, while Allison laughed politely and Mike shook his head with mock disapproval.

Brennan couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealously watching this family that fit so well together.

Apparently done telling his story, Jared turned to where his brother and his partner sat on the couch. "So what's the weirdest case you two have ever been on?"  
Booth rolled his eyes. "Jared's a local fire-fighter who wishes he gets half the excitement we do."  
Shelly scoffed. "I, for one, am very happy with the situation as it is." Jared grinned down at his wife.

"Aw, honey, how sweet."

"Sweet? No, I just can't take care of the three little buggers on my own."  
Brennan smiled. Allison glanced at her, smiling softly herself.

"Seriously, bro, tell us."  
Booth glanced at Brennan, who thought for a moment. "Cannibal in Aurora?" She suggested.

He wrinkled his nose. "What about Epps?"  
She looked at him in disbelief. "Epps was creepy, not weird. Not as weird as a cannibalistic town coroner."

"Fine. Cannibal wins," he sighed.

Both Allison and Shelly had their faces screwed up in disgust. "I'll just say it: ew." Shelly offered.

Mike lent forward curiously. "How did you know he was a cannibal?"  
Brennan shrugged, taking a sip of her beer. "The teeth marks on the bones allowed for a positive ID. But we found him burning evidence before that."

Even Jared flinched at that one.

"OK," Allison said decisively. "Saddest case you've worked on."  
Brennan and Booth exchanged a glance, both knowing that this question would be answered falsely. "Romeo and Juliet?" Brennan offered tentatively.

Booth nodded in agreement. "Yeah." His family watched him, waiting for more. "A 15 year old kid was killed when he tried to run away with his girlfriend." He paused. "By the girlfriends scared 10-year-old brother."  
Brennan just nodded as he spoke. If they had have answered truthfully, it would have been investigating her mothers murder, or the murders her father committed that won that category.

"Alright, alright, I've got one," Shelly said eagerly. She didn't look at Brennan, only her brother in law. "Scariest case."  
Neither had to pause for thought.

"Gravedigger," Booth said instantly.

"Cement head," Brennan replied at the same time. They glanced at each other in surprise.

"How is the Gravedigger not our scariest case?" He asked her.

"Wait, who's the Gravedigger?" Jared asked, his tone mimicking the confusion on all their faces.

Brennan tore her eyes from Booths to answer. "He kidnaps people and buries them alive. If the ransom he asks for is paid, their loved ones get coordinates of where they are. If not…"

"Bones…" He saw his mothers look. "_Tempe_ was kidnapped, along with one of our other colleagues. They were trapped in a car buried underground for 13 hours, with 12 hours of oxygen." He stopped, looking back at Brennan. She smiled gently and took over.

"Hodgins, my colleague, and I, made more oxygen, sent out a text message and blew out the windscreen of the car. Bo – Seely pulled me out of the ground just in time."

His family sat in stunned silence. "Wow," Mike said finally. "My son, the hero."

Booth tried to smile. "Not at all. I wouldn't have found her without the rest of the team. And we were nearly too late."

"Well, that sounds very scary to me!" Allison said with a shudder. "What case were you talking about, Tempe?"  
Brennan refused to look at Booth as she spoke. "Seely was… tied up… by a one-legged retired hit man, before he was found by a crime boss and… kept for a day."

He released a sigh of relief as she skimmed over the torture part. Maybe she had learnt some tact, after all. "Anyway, I had to enlist the help of my criminal father, lie to the FBI and punch a bounty hunter to find him." She smiled at Booth slyly.

He grinned back, stretching an arm across the back of the couch. He let his hand touch her shoulder slightly for a moment.

Allison looked at her son. "I think Tempe and I should speak more often. Why do I never know about your near death experiences?"

Booth widened his eyes innocently. "Hey, I'm no where near as bad as she is!"

"What?" Brennan glared up at him. "I do not - ."

He pulled his arm back and started counting on his fingers. "Kenton, Epps, Ortez, the Voodoo amnesia, the Gravedigger, Kirby - ."

"Kirby did not try to kill me!"

"Only because your father killed him first!"

"Well, you can't speak! You-."

"Talk. It's can't talk, Bones."

"That's irrelevant. What about when we were in Vegas, or when Epps' accomplice tried to hit you with a tyre iron! Then there's Gallagher, and if I remember correctly Kenton nearly killed you too! My fridge blew you up and – ."

"Wait, wait," Jared put his hands in the air, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You got blown up by her fridge?"  
Booth scowled at Brennan. "Now you've done it. I'm never going to hear the end of this."

"Good. It will teach you not to be so protective."  
Booth rolled his eyes. "If I hadn't, you would have been blown up instead. And since you already knew where the cups were…"

"I …"

Allison lent down to whisper in her husbands ear. "I like her."  
He smiled up at his wife. "She most certainly gives Seely a run for his money."

" – and, logically speaking, you were entirely to blame!"  
Allison grinned at the arguing couple, struck by the extreme proximity they shared whilst almost yelling. "Yeah, I really like her."

"Wait one second," Shelly said, pulling herself up. "Both of your most terrifying moments are when the other is in danger?"

Booth and Brennan glanced at each other in surprise.

"Well - ."

"I mean, I guess - ."  
Jared smirked, looking remarkably like his brother.

"Sure," Booth finally got out. "I mean, it's understandable. We spend practically all our time together."

"Yes," Brennan agreed quickly. "I can't even eat without him coming with me."

"That's because you don't eat unless I make you," Booth couldn't resist pointing out.

She frowned at him.

Silence followed.

Mike yawned loudly. "You know what, it's late. I'll see you in the morning."  
He stood up and walked away without further comment. Allison followed, wishing goodnight to her family. Jared glanced down at his wife.

"Ready, honey?"

"Sure," Shelly smiled, letting her husband help her up.

Brennan watched as Jared wrapped his arm around his wife, kissing her forehead gently. She felt a pang of something, a mix of jealously and longing that she didn't quite understand.

"Night, guys," Jared called.

"Night." Booth echoed.

"Goodnight," Brennan said quietly.

Booth waited until the couple were out of earshot before stretching and yawning loudly. "You ready to crash, Bones?"  
Brennan looked at the Christmas tree, unwilling to let her eyes meet Booths, lest he see the panic swelling within her. It was always this way – every Christmas Eve.

"No. I'll just sit here for a while."

Her voice must have been off, because Booth lent towards her. "Temperance…"

"I'm fine, Booth."  
He reached out and touched her chin, turning her head in the way he had learnt would work every time. "You only seem to say that when it's a lie."

Finally, she lifted her eyes to his. "It's nothing, Booth, just…"

He wiped a runaway tear from her cheek. "Bones, if it's making you cry, it's not nothing."

She smiled weakly. "I just… on Christmas Eve, when I close my eyes… I see them leaving all over again."  
Booth rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "You know what I used to do when I was a kid, at Christmas?"  
Brennan shook her head. "What?"

He wrapped his arm fully around her shoulders. "I used to sit on the floor of my bedroom, and listen at the door."

She frowned. "For what?"

"For Santa, Bones, what else? Anyway. I'd sit on the floor, and play with toys or cards, until I couldn't stay awake any longer. I would wake up in the morning, sprawled on the floor, normally with a very sore back, and run downstairs to unwrap my presents."  
Brennan smiled at his story. "What are you suggesting?"

"You, me, a desk of cards and my bedroom floor?" He suggested.

Brennan held back a fresh round of tears. "Booth, you don't have to - ."

"No, I don't. But I want to. Come on."  
He pulled her to her feet and led her towards his bedroom.

"Snap."

"No! You cheated."

"How exactly am I supposed to have cheated at Snap, Booth?"

"You know, I think I liked it better when you had to call me Seely."  
Brennan smirked at him, gathering up the cards and stacking them neatly, stifling a yawn.

"Again?" Booth asked, trying to hide his own fatigue.

"Booth, it's two am. If you want to go to bed, I don't mind."

"No. As long as you're up, I'm up."

Impulsively, Brennan lent across and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."  
He hugged her back, grinning over her shoulder. "Anytime. _Tempe_."

She pulled back, seeming slightly embarrassed.

Booth glanced over at the bed. "You know, we could lay on the bed. And talk," he added hurriedly. "You know, until you fall asleep."  
Brennan bit her lip. "I don't know…" Sleeping in Booth's bed felt worryingly like crossing a line. But perhaps it would be better to have him beside her now, while she was in control, and defeat the nightmares before they began, than to be running into his room in a few hours time, completely vulnerable.

"Come on. I'll be a perfect gentleman. Promise."  
Brennan laughed slightly. "As long as you don't snore."

Booth tilted his head. "That I can't promise."

"Fine," she agreed, pursing her lips.

Within minutes, Booth had her in bed beside him, wearing grey pyjama pants and an oversized jumper. She slid beneath the blankets, relishing the warmth of the bed and the body beside her.

"What are you thinking?" Booth asked quietly, both of them lying on their sides, heads turned towards one another.

"That this is weird." She said bluntly. Booth chuckled.

"Just get some sleep, Bones. You have to put up with my family tomorrow. Believe me when I say they're exhausting." He lent over her and flicked off the bedside lamp. Brennan tried to ignore the feeling that spiked within her as he did. She rolled over to face the wall, her back to Booth and the barrier back in place.

In the dark, the feelings that he had managed to chase away began to come flooding back. She tried to fight the rising panic, attempting to breath steadily.

Hearing the hitch in her breath, Booth gave a loud snore and pretended to sleep roll, 'accidentally' landing his hand on Brennan's hip.

Brennan flinched but didn't complain. Somehow, irrationally, being close to her partner managed to chase away the fears.

For now.


	5. Chapter 5

This chaps just a cute little Chrissy morning piece! Gets better next chapter, I promise!

Thanks for reviewing.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was the first time in 16 years that she managed to sleep on Christmas Eve. Waking up alone in bed at 7 in the morning, Brennan couldn't ignore the Booth-shaped imprint that was the reason for that.

"Come on, Bones, it's Christmas! Get out of bed!" The real thing came bounding back into the bedroom from the bathroom.

She groaned and glanced over at her partner, who was wearing only a ratty t-shirt and a pair of sweats. "Aren't you getting dressed?"  
He glanced in her in surprise. "What part of 'Christmas' don't you understand? You don't waste time getting dressed when there are presents to give out!"  
Brennan pushed back the blankets and climbed out of bed. "Am I allowed to brush my teeth? Or is that against the rules, too?"

"Please do," he said teasingly. "But be quick!"  
Brennan hurried the process of getting ready, surprised to find herself excited about seeing his family and celebrating Christmas. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her hair was an untameable mess, so she secured it in a hair tie, splashing her face with water in an attempt to wake herself up further.

Finally, she re-entered the bedroom, where Booth stood impatiently by the door.

"Ready now, Bones?"

"Wait, one second." She raced back into her bedroom and snatched up the bag containing the gifts she intended to give. Then she joined Booth.

"Booth family Christmas, here we come," he said jokingly, offering her his arm. Brennan rolled her eyes and laughed, taking his arm anyway.

"Merry Christmas, Bones," he said, kissing her on the cheek before he could object.

To his surprise, she blushed instead. "Merry Christmas, Booth," she replied, slightly dazed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The lounge room was already overflowing with people and gifts when the two entered it.

"Merry Christmas!" Voices repeated, over and over. Brennan found herself slightly overwhelmed as each member of Booth's family hugged and kissed her. Including three very excited and sleep-deprived children.

"Come on," Booth said, reappearing at her side and taking her hand. "We sit and watch."

He led her to the couch they had claimed last night, as his parents settled on the red couch and Jared sat in the armchair.

"Can we open them now?" Asked Ben excitedly.

"Go ahead, sweetie," Shelly said as she entered the lounge, handing Jared a cup of coffee, resting on the arm of his chair.

Three little faces lit up as they began tearing paper of presents. Brennan nudged Booth.

"They open presents like you do," she murmured.

He grinned. "That's because you insist on wrapping them with so much sticky tape, there's no other way to get it off."

"Be nice or you wont get a present at all," she told him sternly, but unable to stop a smile.

"Cool! Thanks, Santa!"

"Wow!"

"What exactly is that?" Brennan whispered in Booth's ear.

He put an arm around her shoulders, whispering back. "It's a trampoline, Bones. You never had a trampoline?"

She shook her head.

"Alright!" Jared clapped his hands together. "Now, for your presents from your mother and I, and Grandma and Grandpa… look outside the door."  
Brennan lent back out of the way as the kids stormed for the door. As it opened, loud exclamations of gratitude and appreciation could be heard. Booth stayed seated on the couch with Brennan, waiting for them to return.

"What did they get?"

"Bikes," he said. She nodded.

"Don't you want to watch them ride?"  
He raised his eyebrows. "I haven't given them my presents yet. Believe me, they'll be back in before you know it."  
Sure enough, a minute later the children were once more sitting on the floor, watching their uncle expectantly.

"I give the best presents, Bones, you'll see." He stood up and stretched, before turning as though going to the kitchen.

"Anyone else for breakfast?" He asked loudly.

"But- ."

"Uncle Seely!"

"Oh!" He turned around, pretending to be surprised. "Did I forget something?"

"Our presents!" they chorused, giggling. Brennan suspected this was something of a tradition.

"Right, right. Hmm." Booth made a show of rummaging around under the tree, before producing a large square box and presenting it to Lexie. She laughed excitedly and ripped off the paper, removing the lid from the box. Brennan watched as the little girl squealed, pulling out a pale pink, very frilly, very showy, dress.

Booth pulled something else out from behind his back. "Because every princess needs a tiara." He placed a beautiful sliver tiara, complete with coloured stones, on the top of her head. Lexie hugged her uncle's legs tightly.

"Thank you!"

"You are most welcome, Princess Lexie." She laughed again; her childish face lighting up as she patted the dress.

Satisfied with her reaction, Booth then turned to the boys. "Now, you two… your Dad's been telling me that you've been fighting each other a lot. So, as punishment for all the yelling…" he trailed off as their faces fell. "Well, look in the hall."  
The boys glanced at each other in confusion before doing as he said. Brennan watched curiously over the back of the couch.

The twins came back in, each holding a padded tunic.

"Put them on," Booth insisted. They complied. Booth reached around the back of the Christmas tree, pulling out two long, plastic swords and handing one each to the suddenly excited boys. "Next time you two feel like having a fight, go outside with these. I guarantee you that Mom and Dad won't yell at you as much." He winked at his nephews, letting them go to chase each other around the house.

Shelly rolled her eyes. "Now you've done it."  
Booth just grinned at her, before meeting Jared's eyes. "Nice," His brother mouthed. Booth nodded and sat down next to Brennan again.

"Alright! Our turn!" Allison said with a smile, reaching down to grab two slim envelopes. She passed one to Jared and Shelly, and the other to Booth.

Jared opened his first. "Wow, Mom! Thank you!"  
Booth craned his neck. "What is it?"

Jared waved two tickets at his brother. "Tickets to go on a cruise."  
Booth paled. Allison laughed. "Don't worry, honey, I got you something different. I remember what happened last time you were on a boat."  
Brennan glanced at him with interest. "What happened last time you were on a boat?"

"Why don't I just open this, hey?" He said quickly.

Allison winked at Brennan. "I'll tell you later," she mouthed.

"What about the kids?" Shelly was asking.

"We'll take 'em for the week," Mike answered his daughter in law.

"Thank you," Shelly said, hugging them both, just as Booth got the envelope open.

"Aww, yes!" he crowed.

"What is it?" Brennan tried to look over his shoulder, but was saved the need by Booth shoving the items in her face.

"Disneyland!" The giant smile on his face was contagious.

"That's our gift to Parker, too," Allison explained.

Booth looked once again at the tickets in his hand, realising that something was off. "So why are there three tickets?"

"Well," Allison began coyly. "We figured that you would need someone to take care of you two kids. Especially since you're staying there the night."

"Let me guess. You want me to choose that someone, right now?" Booth shook his head, chuckling. "You're diabolical, you know that, Mom?"  
She shrugged, her eyes sparkling. "I try my best."  
Booth turned to where Brennan sat next to him, her confused face very much in place. "Would you like to come to Disneyland with Parker and I?" He asked quietly.

Her eyes widened. "Booth, I - ." That line seemed to be blurring at an exponential rate.

Booth saw and understood her reluctance, and decided to head it off before she gave him a flat out refusal. "Think about it, OK?"

She smiled. "OK." His warm brown eyes caught on hers as he tried to reassure her.  
Jared cleared his throat. "Not meaning to interrupt your moment, but we have presents to give too. For Mom," He pulled out a flat, slim box. "This is from all of us, including Dad."

"Thank you," she said with a smile, unwrapping the gift. She pulled out a beautiful gold necklace with matching earrings. "Oh, it's lovely." She kissed her husband gently, smiling at her sons. "Thank you."

"And for Dad," Booth said with a grin, "we have this."  
Jared rolled his eyes. "We all payed, but Seely found it."  
Booth handed across a big red gift bag. Mike reached inside, retrieving a black, grease stained item. "Wow… Thank you so much!"  
They three males then sprouted into a heated discussion about car parts and the value of antique items. Shelly and Allison sighed loudly, while Brennan frowned as she tried to follow along.

"You understand any of what they're saying?" Shelly asked.

Brennan frowned. "Enough to know that what Mike just got was very valuable and somehow makes the car go."  
Allison laughed. "Then you get more than we've ever managed to."  
Brennan shrugged. "Bo – Seely lets me help him build cars sometimes. I'm not very good at it."

After finally getting the attention of the men once more, Allison prompted Jared and Booth to exchange gifts. Both laughed in surprise when they realised they had bought one another tickets to the same car racing event. Brennan watched as Allison smiled smugly, impressed at the woman's cunning. Jared gave his wife a charm bracelet, which Booth had contributed to as well.

All eyes then fell on Booth and Brennan. She cleared her throat nervously, reaching into her bag. "It's only something small, just to say thank you," she said quickly, handing a wrapped box each to Shelly and Allison, intended to be shared with their partners. The chocolates were received well, and she felt the flush fade from her cheeks slightly as she handed Booth his gift.

"Thank you, Temperance," he said quietly, making an effort to remove the paper more carefully. She laughed breezily.

"Just rip it," she paused. "Seely."  
He smiled and yanked the rest of the paper off. "Aww, great! Thanks, Bones!"

Booth held up the black leather jacket for his family to see.

"I figured since you wreaked the last one dragging me out of that sinkhole, you would appreciate a replacement," she explained.

"Sinkhole?" Jared asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. Clumsy over here," Booth glanced at Brennan, "managed to fall into a big, goopy sinkhole while we were working a case."

"I distinctly remember you pushing me."

"Anyway," Booth spoke over the top of her. "I threw myself down and tried to pull her out before it got over her head."

"Only for me to realise that I could stand, yes, thank you." Brennan finished off the story. "You know, you don't have to make me seem like an idiot when I do something nice for you."

He pulled her close in a one-armed hug. "I'm sorry. Thank you." Brennan couldn't doubt the sincerity in his voice.

Slightly disarmed, she tried to pull herself upright. "You – you're welcome."

"And now, my gift to you." Booth handed her two items. The first was a medium sized box. "I didn't wrap them because I didn't want to wait all day to see what you thought."

Brennan tried to glare at him, but failed. She removed the lid to the box, pulling out the item within.

It was a jewellery stand, fashioned from twisted pieces of metal stuck to a flat base. Brennan glanced up at Booth in surprise. "You made this?"

He smiled in response. "Yeah."  
Her eyes locked on his, expressing her gratitude without saying a word.

After a moment, Booth cleared his throat. "Come on, Bones, open the next one!"  
He passed her a jewellery box, shifting nervously as he waited for her reaction. She opened it up to see earrings to match the silver bracelet on her wrist.

Without thinking, she wrapped an arm around Booth's torso. "Thanks Booth."  
He hugged her back, wishing he had an excuse to buy her things more often. "You're welcome."  
Allison stood up. "Would you look at that? It's eight! We'd better hurry," she said, pausing to pull her husband off the couch. "Church is at nine."  
Brennan lent away from Booth, removing her arm from his chest. The idea of church was slightly intimidating to her, mainly because she knew she had to be on her best behaviour. According to Booth's enraged mutterings after one argument or another, her complete lack of a 'filtering system' was what usually made her insulting to everyone she came across. She didn't think she had managed to isolate anyone within his family yet, but that was mainly because she had only spoken to Booth and his mother.

She took a shuddering breath. A scientific empiricist going to church with a very catholic family.

Brennan foresaw a very interesting morning.


	6. Chapter 6

Brennan approached the kitchen with a vast degree of trepidation. "Hi, Allison." She said, entering the space.

"Oh! Hello, Tempe." Allison adjusted a dial on the oven before she straightened and looked at Brennan. "You look lovely."

"Really? I have very little experience in appropriate church attire," she said, smoothing the short sleeves of the white knee-length dress. Angela had insisted that the rounded neckline and loose-from-the-waist shape was conservative but not too conservative. Brennan had merely nodded and allowed Angela to pack what she wanted.

Allison smiled at the bizarrely formal speech. "You've done fine, honey."

Brennan smiled crookedly, relieved that Allison had set aside her concerns before she even voiced them. "Thank you."

"You know…" Allison paused. "It's really not my place to say, but…"  
Brennan spoke up. "I appreciate honesty, Allison."

"I figured you would," Allison said wryly. "Which is why I think I can tell you that my son cares for you very much."  
Brennan bit her lip, looking out the window.

"If there is one thing I can tell you about Seely, it is that he never lets anyone down. Just… try to return the favour."  
She touched Brennan's shoulder amicably before she exited the kitchen.

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"You know, your scientist partner is actually kinda hot."  
Booth stiffened. "What?"

"Come on," Jared said with a smile, fastening his tie as he approached his brother in his bathroom. "You can not honestly tell me that in nearly three years, you've never noticed that she is one fine human being."

"Look, Bones… she's my partner. There's a line, and thinking things like that are dangerously close to crossing that line." Booth pushed his brothers hands out of the way, fixing the mess he made of his tie.

"Sure, I believe you. What's with calling her 'Bones', by the way?"

He shrugged. "She works with bones, I call her Bones. Makes sense to me. Plus it drove her nuts."

"I get that it used to annoy her. But why do you still call her that?"  
Done with his brothers tie, Booth moved on to his own. "Her friends call her Brennan. Other people, people who look up to her, they call her Dr. Brennan. Her brother, some friends, boyfriends, they call her Tempe. Her father calls her Temperance. No one but me calls her Bones." He grinned at his reflection.

"Seel. You could not be more in love with her if you tried."  
Booth turned angrily to face his brother. "She has no family of her own. Coming here is a huge step for her. If you dare make her uncomfortable, Jay, I swear…"

Jared held up his hands in surrender. "I won't, I promise." He smiled at Booths raised eyebrows. "I won't wreak this for you. Even if you wont admit you'd be missing anything."  
Jared patted his brother's shoulder as he left the room.

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"Are you listening to this?" Brennan hissed in Booths ear. He felt his stomach drop.

Well, he suppose he should be grateful she lasted this long.

"Shh, Bones!"

"Booth, this is insulting and derogatory!"

"It's a homily, Bones, just shut up and listen!"  
Her eyes turned icy. "That man just said that people who are non practising Christians are not living a meaningful life. Children in this church will go to school with Jews and Muslims having being told that they are lesser human beings!"

"Bones…" He warned. As usual, she ignored him. Booth caught his family watching their exchange.

"You know who else said stuff like that? Hitler. Discrimination like this triggered the holocaust."

Booth took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Out."

"What?"

His eyes snapped open, meeting his partners coldly. "Get out of this church before I drag you out."  
Brennan looked at him in disbelief. "You're kicking me out of church?"  
He didn't reply.

"Fine," she hissed, pushing past him roughly. "Enjoy your meeting of the Reichstag."  
She hurried from the pew, barely noticing as she knocked into both Jared and Shelly. Brennan stormed out of the church, ignoring the critical glances of the occupants.

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"Merry Christmas, Sweetie!"

"Hey, Angela," Brennan said, wishing she had paused to grab her jacket on her way out of church as she power-walked up the freezing main streets of Booth's hometown. "Are you having a good day?"

"It's great! How about you? Playing happy families?"  
Brennan swallowed the lump in her throat. "Ange, I'm coming home, just as soon as I get my stuff and find a taxi."

"What? Bren, what happened?"

"I might have made a scene in church."

"Oh, Bren."

"The priest was being discriminative and prejudiced!"

"Did you have to make a fuss in church?"

Brennan sighed, sinking down to sit in the gutter, ignoring the fact that her white dress would be ruined. "Ever since I got here, I've been staying quiet, so I don't say the wrong thing. I never do that, Ange, I always say exactly what's on my mind. But Booth asked me to watch myself, and I didn't want to offend his family, but I couldn't - ." She stopped, wiping at a tear. "I couldn't pretend to be someone nice and docile and tactful anymore. If - ." She swallowed again. "If Booth is ashamed of who I am, then there is no point me being here."  
Brennan heard only silence from the other end.

"So I'll see you soon, OK, Angela?"

"Sweetie…"

"Bye, Ange." Brennan hung up the phone before her friend could answer, switching the phone off quickly. Taking a moment to gather her strength, she stood up and began walking –in what she hoped was the right direction.

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Booth hung up his phone, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Her phone's off." He sighed heavily.

Mike touched his son's shoulder as they waited out the front of church. "Hate to say it son, but this one's all on you."

"I had to get her to be quiet!"

"By kicking her out of church? Especially when she was right?"

"Right. What?"  
Mike sighed. "You're mother has been giving the priest an earful for the last ten minutes about the inappropriateness and backwards thinking of his sermon. You're scientist lady was right. I mean, she didn't need to say it quite so loudly, but…"

Booth laughed humourlessly, sitting on the church steps. "Yeah, well, tact isn't exactly Bones' strong suit."

Mike shrugged as he lent back against the concrete wall. "Then she must have been putting in an effort since she's been here."

Booth was struck with guilt. "I told her to be careful with her opinions."

Mike sat down beside his son, groaning as he did. "There's no way to hurt a woman more than to try and change who she is."  
Booth shook his head vehemently. "I would never try to change her, Dad, no way! I mean, she's a tad eccentric, and she fails at most social norms and never knows when to shut up, and she understands no pop culture reference whatsoever, and she will never, ever admit she's wrong but… that's who she is. Why would I want to change her?"  
Mike smiled slightly. "Son, it's not me you need to give that pretty speech to." He tossed his keys to his son. "Go find your girl and make it right."

Booth smiled back. "Just don't let Bones hear you calling her my girl."  
He bounded to his feet and jogged to his father's truck, wishing with all his might that he could take back his actions.

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Temperance Brennan had trekked across Tibet, navigated Guatemala, scuba dived in uncharted territory and climbed more than a few mountains.

And she was lost in the warren of streets traversing a small country town in Philadelphia.

For a moment, she considered turning her cell back on, if only to check the GPS and find her way back to the Booths. Or to call a taxi. But as enticing as the warm interior of a cab seemed, the prospect of answering her partners phone calls managed to still her urge.

Even though she was fairly sure that she was entering the early stages of hypothermia after walking for nearly an hour.

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"Come on, Bones," Booth muttered as he turned down yet another street. "How the hell did you manage to get lost here?"

He refused to acknowledge the possibility that she had simply decided to skip out on him, calling a cab to take her straight from the church. No, he insisted. His partner wouldn't leave without her laptop, which was still set up on the desk in her room. She wouldn't just leave him without saying goodbye.

And then it began to rain.

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And then it began to rain.

Brennan couldn't help but laugh as the light drizzle intensified, soaking her white dress through within minutes. Still completely and utterly lost, she reached the next street corner and stared down both her options. Realising that she had been defeated, she sank the ground and looked up at the signpost before pulling out her cell phone.

She hit speedial.

"Booth? I'm on the corner of Dartford and Watson."

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His phone rang just minutes after the rain started. He didn't bother to look at the caller ID, answering with her name anyway.

"Bones? Where are you?"

"Booth? I'm on the corner of Dartford and Watson."

"Are you…" He trailed off as he realised she had hung up. With a sigh, he swung the truck around and headed in the direction of his partner.

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Sure enough, she was sitting in the gutter by the signpost when he arrived. If he didn't know just how angry she was at him, Booth would have found the scene comical.

Brennan was startled out of her thoughts by the roaring of a truck echoing through the rain. She glanced up, watching as the faded blue vehicle pulled up to the curb. Ducking her head against the rain, she began to get to her feet, careful not to slip.

Booth was out of the car before she even stood. "Are you OK?"

"What? Yes, Booth, I'm fine. Get back in the truck, you're getting wet!"

"That's pretty rich, coming from you," he retorted, holding up a yellow plastic raincoat to shield them both. She tried to walk away. "Just let me get you to your seat, Bones."

The stubborn set of her mouth told him he was far from forgiven, but she allowed him to walk her to the passenger seat. Once in, he handed her the coat he had rescued from the church. She took it wordlessly, tucking it over herself like a blanket. She was shaking, and in any other circumstances he would have his arms around her. But she was mad and he was realising that for once, this argument wouldn't just go away. It wasn't about her being rude in church or him yelling at her – it was about his stupid, misguided idea to tell her to watch herself.

Booth got into the drivers seat, making sure the heater was up as high as it went and that all vents were pointed at his partner. He heard her barely audible sigh of relief as she settled into the warm. He waited until he had pulled back onto the road to speak.

"So you're mad at me?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "Because you think I'm ashamed of you?"  
She glanced up in surprise. "Yes."

He smiled at the rain-splattered window. You had to love her honesty.

"Well, I'm not, OK, Bones?"

"Then why did you ask me to keep my opinions to myself?" Her voice was flat and emotionless.

"I didn't say - ." He took a deep breath. Getting into another argument with her wouldn't fix anything. "You know how you were nervous about meeting my parents? Well, I was nervous too, OK?"  
Brennan turned her head, looking at him for the first time since she clamoured into the car. "Why?"

"Because you're an important part of my life, and so are they. I just wanted them to like you, because I really didn't want to have to disconnect my phone if Mom kept calling to tell me how terrible you are. Not that I ever thought that would happen," he amended hurriedly. "I just meant - ." He cut himself off again. "Look, Bones. I'm not ashamed of you, and it was wrong of me to ask you to be anyone other than who you are. Sure, it would be nice if you could be who you are a little more quietly, or wait until church is over, but… hey, I don't even like the you who doesn't argue back or speak her mind all the time, how could I expect my family to?" Booth paused. "I'm telling you I'm sorry, Bones."

Brennan pursed her lips and looked away, feeling a wall inside her slip away. He always seemed to do that. If she believed in things like psychics, she would seriously consider the possibility of Booth being among their numbers.

"Are you still mad at me?" Booth asked, a smile quirking on his lips. He could tell by the way she had relaxed that he was forgiven.

"No," she answered shortly. His smile widened.

"You know, this whole thing could have been averted if you took your own advice and hugged me when you got scared, rather than getting all… controly."

Booth gave her a surprised look, for once, completely speechless.


	7. Chapter 7

Only a few chapters to go! Thanks for all the support so far! Hope you are enjoying this as much as I am! Thank you for the reviews – I appreciate the support and help!

Booth held open the door for his partner and ushered her inside, still using the raincoat to shield them both from the slowing rainfall. She was shivering, he noticed with concern. "Go take a shower, OK, Bones? Warm up." He rubbed her arm gently.

"Sure," she agreed, looking up at him as he shut the door. "I'm sorry I made a scene in church."

"I'm sorry I was rude to you in church," he replied softly. He brushed a damp lock of hair from her face. His other hand held her arm gently.

Brennan opened her mouth slightly, as if to say something, before closing it again. Booth's hand rested delicately against her cheek.

"Finally!" Allison bustled into the hallway, disrupting the fragile moment. Lexie balanced precariously on her hip, instantly leaning towards her uncle. "I was beginning to think you would never convince her to come back."  
Booth hastily withdrew his hand from her face, taking a step away and clearing his throat. "Yeah, well, it was an effort." He smiled at his mother. "Lex! Come to uncle Seeley!" He held out his arms for the three year old.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust as she settled into his grip. "You wet!"

Brennan watched the exchange with a smile on her face. "I'm going to go shower," she said, side-stepping the group in the hall.

"Sure. Oh, honey?"

Brennan turned at Allison's voice. "If my boy ever talks to you like that again, you let me know." Her gaze shifted to her son. "I'll deal with him."  
Brennan couldn't help but grin. "Thanks, Allison. But I think I can handle Seeley on my own."

His eyes left his complaining niece to glance at Brennan in surprise. She smiled slyly before turning and walking away.

"I'd tell you off, Seeley," Allison said. "But I think her nearly running off was punishment enough."  
She took the child from her son. "Now go get dry, you're dripping on my floor."

"Yes, Mom," he said obediently, trudging down the hallway after his partner and trying to find a logical explanation for the turmoil he was feeling.

But even though she would deny it, not all things to do with Temperance Brennan fell into the category of 'logical'.

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"Booth, have you seen - . Oh." Brennan stopped in Booths doorway, search for her coat forgotten as she noticed the phone held to his ear. He had lost the dripping wet clothes, instead wearing jeans and a well-fitting white t-shirt. He glanced up, a slightly forced smile on his face. He waved her in, patting the bed next to him.

"Grandpa did, did he? Wow."

Booth glanced over at Brennan as she sat next to him.

"And you didn't fall off? Very clever."

Brennan wondered if Parker could hear the tension in his father's voice.

"Yeah? That's great." Booth took her hand without meeting her eyes, entwining his fingers with Brennan's and allowing their hands to fall to his knee.

"You have to go? Oh, OK. I'll see you soon. I love you. Bye."  
He hung up the phone and dropped it onto the bed. Brennan squeezed his hand gently.

"Are you OK?" she asked quietly.

He tried to smile, his head hanging. "I just miss him. I hate that he's over the other side of the country on Christmas."

"I wish I could make this better for you, Booth, but I just… don't know how." Her hand in his somehow seemed to sand at the edges of the Parker-shaped hole within him. She drained away some of the stabbing pain/anger/guilt that swamped him. But he couldn't say that.  
He turned his head to the side, a grin on his face. "You see Bones, that's where you're wrong. You already are."

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"Lunch was great, Allison, thank you. I wish you would let me help with cooking, though," Brennan said as stacked the plates into the dishwasher.

"Seriously, Ma, you should let her cook Mac and Cheese. She makes the best," Booth lent over Brennan to put his own plate in the machine. The pride in his voice was unmistakeable, somewhat to Brennan's surprise. She was accustomed to hearing the professional pride in his voice when he spoke of her skills as a forensic anthropologist, but this was different. This was personal.

Allison raised an eyebrow at him, hands on her hips.

Booth smiled guilty. "Sorry, Mom, but it's true. Even Parker agrees."

"I have to make it every Friday night that Parker is at Seeley's place," Brennan told Allison with a smirk.

"Really?" Allison shot her son a sidelong glance. "She cooks for you?"

"Mom…" Booth warned.

"Well, honey, why don't you make dinner tomorrow night?" Allison suggested.

"I'd love to," Brennan answered before Booth could have any input.

Allison smiled and exited the kitchen.

"You know, I'm a little worried about how much you two are bonding," Booth said, waving a finger in Brennan's face. She slapped it away, turning him around by his shoulders and pushing him out of the kitchen.

"You brought me here, remember?"

"Oh, I remember. And now," he paused to spin around, walking backwards down the hall, "you have to start getting ready for the party tonight."

"Booth, it's only 3 o'clock!"

"I know, but we leave at 6, and I know how long you take to get ready so…" He stopped still and grabbed her shoulders, turning her around and kicking open the door to her bedroom. "I'll see you soon."  
Brennan half-smiled in confusion. "You know, you don't have to be so pushy."

"Yeah, I think I do." He shoved the exclaiming Brennan into her bedroom and shut the door, chuckling as he turned back around to join the males in the lounge.

"So all the girls are now getting ready?" Jared said, propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Yep," Booth said, sighing as he took the offered beer from his father.

"So we'll actually get to the Walton's before dinner starts at 7?" Mike asked.

"For once," Jared agreed, clinking his beer bottle against his brothers. "Nice plan, Bro."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the Worlds Best FBI Agent for nothing."

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"Booth? Can you please do this up?" Brennan wandered into Booth's room, feeling a sense of deja vu. Booth was bent over something on his desk, wearing dress pants and a white shirt.

"Huh? Oh, su…" He straightened, turning to face his partner…and stopped in his tracks.

He sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening. _Oh, am I in trouble tonight._

Stunning barely covered it, he thought dully as he tried to return some expression to his slack face. The dress fitted her perfectly, highlighting all her best features, the colour bringing out her eyes and accenting her flawless pale skin. The low heels she wore lengthened her legs and drew out the muscles in her calves. With the earrings he gave her in her ears, her father's bracelet on her wrist, and her favourite necklace drawing attention to her chest, she looked about ten different kinds of perfect.

Meanwhile, Brennan was having a few troubles of her own.

Booth turned, revealing that he had yet to button up his shirt. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him topless, nor the first time she had noticed how muscular he was… nor the first time she was impressed by it.

It had to be the situation, she told herself sternly. The two of them were practically acting like a couple here, so it followed that she would be more vulnerable to his charm. Which seemed to be missing, she noted as her eyes finally made it to his face, because he was staring at her with the most bizarre expression.

Realising that he was simply staring at her, rather than complying with her request, Booth shook his head and flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. Sure, I – I'll zip you up."

She turned around to face the wall, brushing her newly styled curls out of the way unnecessarily – they barely reached the base of her neck, let alone touch the top of the dress midway down her back. Booth gulped as he tugged the zip up the last inch, feeling the warmth of her skin against his hands.

"Thanks," Brennan said, hoping her voice didn't sound as breathy to Booth as it did to her. She turned back around, facing her partner. Standing very close to her partner.

_Uh-oh._

"Um, yeah, sure, no – no problem." Booth stammered, his heart hammering at the proximity. _What is wrong with you? _He asked himself sternly. They were always right up in each other's faces, there was always tension. So what was going on now?

"Do I – do I look OK?" Brennan asked, fiddling with the strap on her dress.

If any other woman had have asked that question it could be dismissed as a search for a compliment, but her… he knew Brennan simply wanted to have done the right thing, to be wearing the right outfit.

"You look beautiful," he said simply, emotion in his voice.

Brennan looked startled. _Keep you're eyes on his face, Temperance. _The warmth of his brown eyes, the intensity of some terrifying emotion waiting there scared her away. _Maybe not._

"I – thank you – I have to finish, um, make-up."

"Yeah. Yeah! I should finish, up," he gestured to the shirt he only just noticed was undone.

"Yes," she said lamely, making her escape into the bathroom and pulling the door shut behind her. Brennan exhaled in relief. This wasn't fair, Booth wasn't allowed to do this to her. There was a line, she knew, a concrete, firm line that couldn't be ignored. And definitely couldn't be crossed. She couldn't allow that line to fade out anymore, because she was in very real danger of forgetting where it was.

He put the line there, he told himself as he fastened his tie in his bedroom mirror. He was the one who insisted on there being a line. And sure, they flirted with the line. They danced on it. And sometimes, they jumped across for a quick visit to the other side. But Booth was suddenly afraid that by inviting his partner here, he had pulled her across the line for a holiday – and he was even more afraid that he never wanted to go back.


	8. Chapter 8

"Uh, Tempe?" Brennan glanced at her closed bedroom door. They were due to leave in fifteen minutes, and she was attempting to meditate, to gain some sort of calm before she saw her partner again. And now his sister-in-law who didn't like her was standing at her door.

"Come in," she called, standing up from the bed.

Shelly walked in uncomfortably, the halter neck red dress she was wearing swaying with each step.

"You have a phone call." Shelly said bluntly, passing her the handset.

Brennan tried to smile. "Thank you."

She watched Shelly turn to leave before deciding to just come out with it. "What did I do to offend you?" She asked bluntly.

"What?" Shelly turned.

"Its just that you've hardly spoken to me since I arrived, and when you do, you're very terse."

Shelly smiled a weak, fake smile. "Seeley said you were blunt. But then, Seeley said a lot about you, and I'm yet to see evidence of any of it. He said you were this amazing, wonderful, kind, feisty, strong woman. A total surprise, he said. Well, you're yet to surprise me." The venom in her voice was unmistakeable. "You might have everyone else here eating out of the palm of your hand, but I think what you are doing is wrong."  
Brennan blinked in surprise. "What exactly am I doing?"

"Taking advantage of someone, and their family, just because you don't have your own? It's low." Shelly spat, turning sharply and leaving the room.

Brennan sat down on her bed, slightly shocked. She didn't even remember the phone until she heard the muffled yelling coming from the handset.

"Angela?" She said in surprise, holding the phone to her ear.

"Sweetie, whoever that was is so jealous of you it's not funny."

"It's Booth's sister-in-law. And of course it's not funny. Why would it be funny?"

The door to her room opened – this time the one attached to the bathroom. "Bones, what have I told you about being literal?"

"That's a saying?" He nodded with a dramatic eye-roll.

"Is that Booth?"

"Yes, Angela."

"Put him on."

"Ange…"

"Bren, I promise I wont yell. Clearly he made it up to you for this morning, because you're still there. You should have called, by the way. Or at least answered your cell. But I forgive you. Just put Booth on so I can say Merry Christmas."

Brennan handed the phone wordlessly to Booth, who had stood at the doorway watching. He crossed to the bed, taking the phone from Brennan and sitting next to her.

"Merry Christmas, Angela."

"OK, you listen. Don't speak, just listen. Your sister in law just gave Bren an earful about taking advantage of your family, so Bren's going to be a little bit quiet. Make her feel better, OK? I have a few suggestions on how to do that if you need some help. Now. How does that dress look on her? Are you wearing the tie I gave you?"

For the first time, Booth noticed that the tie he was wearing matched perfectly with the colour of Brennan's dress. "Angela, you really need to meet my mother. I think you and her would get along well."

Brennan raised an eyebrow at him, and he thanked her inability to understand anything relating to people unless it was spelled out to her.

"And thanks for telling me about that other thing. I'll sort it out. Bye Ange."

He hung up the phone, his eyes locked on Brennan's. "Bones… What did Shelly say to you?"  
Brennan stood up hurriedly. "We should go."

"Bones," he warned.

"Drop it, Booth." She pushed open her bedroom door. "Now, are we going or what?"

He grabbed her now-dry coat off her bed, holding it up. "Not until you're wearing this."

Booth came up behind her, helping her into the heavy woollen item. "Bones," he said softly, his face close to her ear as his hands rested on her shoulders.  
Brennan closed her eyes. "It doesn't matter, Booth."

"It matters, Bones. It always matters."  
Brennan sighed. "Come on."

Booth slipped his arm through hers, pulling her body closer to his. "I am your escort tonight. Why don't you let me lead for a change? Especially since you have no idea where you're going?"

"I think I can find my way to your living room, Booth," Brennan remarked dryly.

"Fine, genius. Lead the way," he bowed low, allowing her to walk ahead of him in the hallway.

"Are you two nearly done? Coz we are leaving, now," Jared said, clapping his hands together in the doorway. Waiting outside the door were three puff-balls that had once been children.

"What the hell happened to the kids?" Booth asked blankly.

Jared rolled his eyes. "Shel decided that one jacket wasn't enough. Go figure."

Booth pushed Brennan's back slightly. "Why don't you help Mom and Dad get the kids down the road, OK? I just want to talk to Jay for a sec."  
She met his eyes, her mouth tense and her eyebrows raised. Booth sighed. "Just go, Bones."

"Fine," she muttered, exiting the house and approaching Lexie. Booth watched as she squatted next to the girl, touching her messy curls. Lexie seemed to laugh, before placing her hand in Brennan's.

"What's up, Seel?"  
Booth turned back to his brother, ignoring the beckons of the rest of the family. Shelly waited at the gate already. "Shelly's giving Bones a hard time."  
Jared sighed heavily, hands planted on his hips. "You know why, right?"

Booth laughed bitterly. "Oh yeah. I know why. It's day's like this that I really don't like Tessa."

"Yeah," Jared patted his brother's shoulder. "I definitely got the good cousin. Come on. I'll deal with it." He pulled the door closed behind them as they exited the house.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Oh, my god. Is that Seeley? How long has it been?" Brennan watched in amusement as Booth was ambushed the moment their coats were removed. In the case of the kids, this took a significant amount of time. Especially since Lexie was reluctant to release her hand. Having finally done so, she had run off with the boys and an even larger group of children.

The woman had blonde hair that was entirely free of greys, and entirely fake if her considerably lined face was any better indicator of age. She seemed incredibly excited to see Booth, Brennan noted, as she observed the woman's repeated hugging and kissing of her partner.

Finally, Booth managed to break away for long enough to drag her towards the frightening woman. "Jessica, this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, meet Jessica Walton, this is her home."

"It's nice to meet you," Brennan offered.

"You too," Jessica said breezily. "So are you two…"

"Secretly engaged? Yes," Booth winked at Jessica, wrapping an arm around Brennan. "But please, don't tell anyone. Our little secret."

Jessica grinned in delight. "I promise. You two have fun now." She turned and walked away, almost too quickly.

"What was that?" Brennan demanded.

"Every year I come here alone Jess tries to set me up with one of her distant relatives. Please save me from the humiliation this year," his eyes implored her. His best smile spread across his face.

"Ugh. What have I told you about using your charm smile on me?"

Impulsively, Booth lent in and kissed her forehead. "You're the best. Now come on. Everyone is dying to meet you."  
Brennan felt once more like she was being abducted as Booth dragged her around the party, introducing her to his old friends and neighbours. When they finally sat down to eat, Brennan couldn't help but feel relieved. Only to discover that she had been seated next to Jessica and was at the mercy of the woman's questions for the next hour.

Booth, preoccupied with his assigned role of making sure Lexie ate her food rather than using it as ammunition in a food fight, only noticed once the meals were done that his partner was being harassed by Jessica. Intending on coming to her rescue, he lent on the table, his elbow right next to Brennan's.

"How romantic," Jessica sighed. "And? What next, honey? How did he actually propose?"  
Booth's elbow slipped of the table, causing him to smack his hand hard on it's edge. He saw the flush creep into Brennan's cheeks, and contemplated saving her, before deciding against it because this way was far more interesting.

Brennan felt herself being pulled in over her head. When conversation had turned to Booth, she had tried to bluff her way through the simple questions of how long, how did you get together, ect. She had simply taken situations from when they had worked together and embellished a little. Their moment outside the diner after her father left had become their first kiss. But there was nothing in their past resembling an engagement, and she was entirely lost. And then there was the small fact that Booth was now listening.

"Well, I … you see, Boo – Seeley, he, um," Brennan stammered. She didn't think she had been this ineloquent since high school.

Booth finally took pity on her and slung an arm around her neck. "What my beautiful fiancée is trying to say is that we were at a friends wedding, and I proposed to her later that night."  
Brennan hid a smirk as she remembered how Hodgins and Angela's wedding reception had really passed – with the two of them deflecting millions of questions and taking care of an inexplicably intoxicated Zack.

Suddenly, a song on the stereo in the lounge gave them their exit.

"Now, I'm sorry, Jess, but I'm going to have to steal my girl away for a minute. Our song's playing." He took Brennan's hand and pulled her to her feet, taking her into the lounge.

"Our song?" She asked derisively, before actually pausing to listen. A slow smile spread over her face. "Oh! Our song," she agreed.

"Gotta love Foreigner," Booth said, twirling her around. Brennan laughed, allowing him to spin her and then pull her back to him. The hand not clasping hers came to rest at her waist, while her free arm moved to his shoulder.

"This isn't really a slow dance sort of song," Brennan noted, not really complaining.

"Is now," Booth said pointedly, shuffling from foot to foot. Brennan shook her head and allowed him to pull her closer. Knowing that everyone else at the party was preoccupied and unable to see them, Brennan dropped her head to Booth's shoulder, giving herself a moment of rest.

"Hey," he murmured. "You OK?" His hand rubbed her back.

"Yes, just a little… overwhelmed. I haven't had a Christmas since I was fourteen."

Booth smiled down at her. "Wait here." Breaking away from Brennan, Booth jogged back to the foyer, grabbing both their coats and taking the pocket poncho from Shelly's coat. He unfolded it as he walked back to Brennan, wordlessly helping her into her coat and leading her out the Walton's back door.

"Oh, wow…" Brennan trailed off. Sometime over the course of the afternoon, the light rain had stopped and the clouds had cleared. Instead, the sky was like onyx, stars glimmering brightly on their dark backdrop.

"I love looking at the stars when I'm here. You just don't see them as good in the city." He took Brennan's arm and led her over to the trampoline situated in the middle of the yard. Laying out the poncho, he jumped lightly onto the trampoline and gestured for Brennan to do the same. More cautiously, she followed. When they were both safely on, Booth lay down on top of the poncho, eyes glued on the stars as Brennan joined him.

"When I was in Guatemala, one night, there had been a huge storm that had just cleared. We were up in the mountains, and when you looked at the stars… they seemed almost within reach."

They lay in silence for a minute.

"Shelly doesn't like me." Brennan said finally, glancing sideways at Booth. He sighed.

"No, not really. But that's just because of Tessa."

"Tessa? The woman you were dating when we met?" Brennan asked quizzically.

"Yeah," Booth nodded. "Shelly introduced us – they're cousins – and she really wanted us to stay together. So when we broke up, she wasn't happy."

"OK," Brennan said, a little unsure as to whether she really wanted the answer to the next question. "But why dislike me?"  
Booth stared adamantly at the stars. "It might have something to do with the fact that Tessa and I broke up because she was really jealous of all the time I spent with you."

Brennan released a breath. "That would explain it." She looked at Booth. "Though technically, I shouldn't feel responsible for the insecurities of your ex, I'm still sorry."

He chuckled. "Thanks, Bones."  
Brennan allowed herself to relax. Despite the chill in the air, she was comfortable, lying on the trampoline with her partner and best friend. Idly, she wondered if he had ever bought anyone else out here. If there was anyone else who got to pretend to be his fiancé, and meet his family, and hold his nieces hand. If there was someone else he ordered to leave work, or force-fed diner food to, someone else he bossed around and held doors open for. She sincerely hoped not. Somehow, in the last three years, she had grown to like being that person.

"I'd love to come to Disneyland with you and Parker," she blurted.

Booth looked at her in surprise. "Great! Thanks, Bones."

She smiled weakly and allowed him to go back to examining the stars. "Booth…"

He turned his head to the side, as did she. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He smiled slightly. "For what?"  
Brennan allowed her hand to brush against his. "For being my family."  
He took her hand firmly. "Anytime."

"And, you know. For giving me a wonderful Christmas."

"Aww, don't say that. Now imagine how good I'll have to make next Christmas."

"Wait," Brennan said slowly, the breath catching in her throat. "Next Christmas?"

"Well, yeah," Booth said, squeezing her hand. "I'm bringing Parker back here next year, and you're coming too."

"I - ."

"If you never wanted to see my family again, you shouldn't have made them like you so much, Bones." He told her, his voice mocking. He watched as she began to smile softly, almost glowing with some sort of happiness.

And in that moment, seeing her happy and content, he felt something change, and he knew.

He was completely in love with Temperance Brennan.


	9. Chapter 9

I have just realised that I've completely forgotten a disclaimer so far, so I'm now broadly saying that I own nothing!

One or two chapters to go! Thanks for all the reviews, they are very helpful!

Brennan woke alone in her bed, her sleep numbed brain missing the previous night's company before she regained enough control to scold herself for her inappropriate desires.

Throwing back her blankets, Brennan snatched up her towel and stumbled to the bathroom, intent on a shower to awaken her fully before she made the mistake of thinking anything more about her partner.

After checking that the door to Booth's room was most definitely locked, Brennan stepped under the luxurious comfort of the hot shower, sighing in relief as the tension fell away. As much as she enjoyed being a part of his Christmas, it wasn't short of its drama. Between the bitter sister-in-law and the church situation, Brennan had been thoroughly exhausted by her day.

And was eagerly looking forward to another one.

Booth heard the shower turn on and sighed, messing up his hair with his hands. His little revelation the day before had led to a sleepless night, filled with worrying thoughts. Most of them centred on the fact that he was a Class A idiot.

Falling in love with Brennan, he could now see, had been inevitable. He believed in fate and destiny and, dare he think it, soul mates. She was inevitable. What had been highly avoidable was drawing that line between them. Technically, she wasn't FBI. There were no rules against them dating – only the ones he had felt the need to impose in a moment of his own vulnerability. He groaned. He channelled Brennan for five minutes, sticking up barriers where they weren't needed and escalated this whole problem.

Stupid.

Sometimes, when he caught her looking at him, he wondered if she felt the same. Not just the undeniable attraction that had been present since day one, but that something deeper.

Booth groaned and lay back on his bed. Dwelling would not help anyone. For the first time, he was grateful to recall that he would be spending the day away from her.

He heard the shower stop, followed minutes later by a timid knock at the door to the bathroom that had him standing in a second and tugging on a shirt.  
"Just a sec, Bones," he called, throwing the cover back over his bed. "OK, come in."  
Brennan pushed open the door and strutted into his room. "What happens today?"  
After a crying Lexie had rudely interrupted their moment on the trampoline, Brennan had offered to go home early with the exhausted children. Booth, although keen to leave too, had been ordered to stay and catch up with the people he had not seen in years, leaving no time for discussion.

"Well… and I know you're not going to like this, but it's kinda tradition, so please play along…"  
Brennan crossed her arms. "What, Booth?"

"Us guys stay here and work on Dad's car, while you girls go bargain hunting at the mall! Fun, huh?"  
Brennan scowled deeply, tugging at the black jacket she was wearing. "Booth, I'm not really the shopping type of girl."  
"I know. And I'm sorry." Brennan couldn't doubt the sincerity in his eyes. "And I'd rather you stay and work on the car, too, but… tradition calls."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Fine." She stomped out of his room and back into hers. The idea of spending the day with Shelly was less than appealing. Although since Lexie and Allison both seemed to like her, she wondered if the day would be such a loss. Brennan was ensuring her wallet and cell were in her handbag when Booth charged unannounced into her room.

"Booth! Have you heard of knocking?"

Booth raised his eyebrows and glanced around to see if he had walked in on something private. Deciding that he hadn't, and Brennan was merely trying to stir him up, Booth made a show of knocking on the door, a smug smile on his face as he watched her scowl.

"What do you want?"

Booth chewed his lip, suddenly uncertain. "Look, Bones, I know what happens when females bond and I would just like to ask a favour."  
Unable to see the connection between the two parts of his sentence, Brennan cocked her head to the side and waited for him to continue.

Booth took a deep breath. If this was anyone else, he could explain what he wanted in a round about, vague way that would be understood easily without embarrassment. With her, it had to be specific and to the point. "If I come up in conversation, don't tell my mother who I've slept with, OK?"  
Brennan flinched. "Why would that come up in conversation?"

"Because mothers are nosey, mine more than others. Just avoid that topic, and we'll be fine."  
Brennan shrugged. "Fine."  
Booth exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Bones."  
Brennan shook her head and walked to the door. "Have fun fixing your car."

"Have fun gossiping and shopping," he shot back.

He watched her go, leaning in the doorway as he heard his mother and sister-in-law usher her out to the car. In one moment, he saw her exiting the house, a smile on her face as she said something to his mother. She turned slightly to pull the door shut, and he noticed that Lexie was propped on her hip, giggling as she played with Brennan's hair. Not for the first time, he noticed how wonderful she was with kids, despite her reluctance to have any of her own.

Then the door slammed shut and he was left wondering exactly how far behind them that line was.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Loathe though she was to admit it, Booth had been right; both Allison and Shelly had spent a substantial portion of their day trying to extract from her details of Booth's personal life. Unable to conceal anything, Brennan had simply deflected their questions with a "Booth told me not to tell you."  
They both laughed at her bluntness. Brennan noticed that Shelly seemed to be warming up to her, especially since she volunteered to watch Lexie while the other two tried on multiple outfits. Apart from a bright blue necklace that Lexie had insisted she buy, Brennan had yet to find anything worth purchasing.

As they sat around a table in the food court at lunchtime, Brennan was amused to observe as conversation turned to their husbands.

"He's hopeless! I swear, he's more of a child than this one," Shelly exclaimed, tickling Lexie.

Allison nodded sympathetically. "They all get like that when the kids are young, these Booth men. Total softies who can never pass up an opportunity to act like children."  
Brennan pointed with her fork. "Actually, it's a commonly accepted method of release for males. While adult women are still expected to show weakness, men are put into the role of being strong and dominant. Around children it is socially acceptable for them to relax that role."

Shelly and Allison both blinked at her uncomprehendingly. Brennan smiled in apology. "Sorry. I have this problem where I forget not everyone has a PhD. Booth's been working on it."

Allison laughed. "That's alright, honey."

Brennan stuck her fork back into her Chinese. "How long have you been married, Allison?"  
Allison smiled warmly. "Forty years next year."

Brennan paused, wondering if it was appropriate to ask her next question. She opened her mouth, closed it again, and then frowned.

Allison, who had been watching her face with interest, burst out laughing. "Just ask, Tempe."

"Do you ever get sick of them? Just having one person in your life?"  
Allison brushed a lock of dark hair off her face. "Some days, he annoys me no end. Some days, we yell and fight and it seems difficult. But no. I never get sick of Mike. I never get sick of waking up to the face of the one person who truly understands who I am, and loves me for it. I never tire of having someone who loves me without fail, who will tell me when I'm wrong and who will defend me to others. When you find the right person, Tempe, you don't tire of them."  
Shelly nodded in agreement. "She's right. Jared drives me nuts, half the time, but it doesn't matter whether we're in the middle of a huge argument or in the middle of dinner, I always know he loves me."  
Brennan pushed some of her food around thoughtfully, mulling over their words. It frightened her a little the direction her thoughts headed in.

"Can we go there?" Lexie asked excitedly, breaking the silence by indicating to a toy store.

Brennan stood up and grabbed Lexie's hand. "Why don't I take you while Mom and Gran finish lunch?"

"Yeah!"

After the nod of approval from Shelly, Brennan ran after Lexie towards the toy store.

"Do you really think she loves him?" Shelly asked Allison.

Allison nodded firmly. "Without a doubt."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It was five o'clock before Allison and Shelly decided that it was time to leave. Brennan hoped her face didn't show too much of the relief she felt – she was running out of things with which to occupy her mind – especially since Lexie had grown tired enough to actually be quiet.

In the car on the way back to the house, Brennan allowed her mind to stray to the topics she had avoided. Better deal with it now, while he's not around, than let it take you by surprise when he is, she told herself sternly.

It was undeniable that he was the person she turned to for help. The person to drag her out of the trouble that even she had to admit she fell into rather regularly. He knew her story better than any other. He knew _her_ better than any other.

They were family, she had agreed. He was the replacement for the people that life had stolen away from her, and he more than filled the gaps they had left behind. He defended her, understood her, told her when she was wrong and drove her insane. Booth checked all of those boxes that Shelly and Allison had introduced.

But their relationship wasn't like that, she argued back, watching as they turned into the Booths street. They were friends, partners. They were more brother and sister than anything else! She flinched at that thought. Even the _idea_ of Booth being her brother seemed vaguely incestuous, simply because of the proximity they always shared.

Cousins, she thought firmly. That would be more fitting.

Very distant cousins, she amended. But would distant cousins conspire with their arrested uncles to buy Christmas gifts? Or drag their cousins out of buried cars and shoot their attackers?  
They pulled into the driveway, and Brennan climbed out numbly, still turning the idea over in her mind. If they weren't family in the way comparable to a relation, then what were they? What was Booth to her?  
Almost without noticing, Brennan entered the garage, somewhere in her mind intending on confronting him about it. So intent on her task, she missed the confused glances that Shelly and Allison exchanged.

Then she noticed him, leaning on the bonnet of the car, the muscles in his arms pronounced. A bright smile lit up his face as he laughed at something his brother said.

She suddenly felt like someone had kicked her in the chest.

She didn't know exactly what Booth was to her now, but she knew one thing very, very clearly.

She was totally, undeniably, in love with Seeley Booth.


	10. Chapter 10

One chap to go after this! Thank you for all the reviews, I was blown away at the support for the last chapter! Keep them coming, I love to hear back from people.

Booth heard the front door open and slam shut, and quickly glanced towards the garage door, expecting that Brennan would have come to visit him.

His instincts proved right, as he saw her standing dead still in the entrance. The setting sun framed her body, and normally he would have only had eyes for how beautiful she was. But at that moment, he was more concerned with the deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face.

"Hey, Bones. How was shopping?" He asked cheerfully, a little worried at the fact that she hadn't blinked in over a minute.

She jumped at his voice. "Yes, fine," she said, the tone of her voice off. "Um."  
And with that, she turned and bolted from the garage.

Booth looked after her in bewilderment, before turning to his brother and father. "What the hell was that?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Brennan immersed herself in the familiar process of preparing Mac and Cheese, thankful for the reprieve from her dizzying thoughts. For the first time in her life, her analytical skills were failing to discern a rational explanation for the way she was feeling – and that scared the hell out of her.

She heard footsteps behind her, alerting her to the presence of someone else in the kitchen. She took a deep breath and continued stirring.

"Bones."

She stopped stirring.

"Hi, Booth." Brennan left the pot and moved to where the plates were kept, busying herself by collecting crockery and cutlery, suddenly cursing the simplicity of her chosen meal.

"You need help?" he asked, jumping up to sit on the bench next to her.

Brennan shook her head. "It's Mac and Cheese, Booth, not gourmet Italian. I think I can handle it." Her voice emerged harsher than she intended.

Booth observed her for a moment, noticing the way she was rushing around and refusing to meet his eyes. He tried to pinpoint why her actions seemed so familiar.

"Did you pick up any awesome bargains?" he asked brightly.

Brennan returned to stirring. "No. Lexie forced me to buy this," she touched the necklace sitting on her chest. "But that's about it."  
He waited for some logical reason that Boxing Day sales weren't really discounts, or for her to begin a rant about the expectation for women to enjoy shopping. He had heard both before, and was even more surprised when he didn't get a rerun.

"Are you OK?" He asked bluntly.

She flinched. "Fine." She hunched her shoulders, completely blocking him out.

Something clicked in Booth's mind. Last night, after he had realised… how he felt about her, he had been unable to make eye contact, unable to remember how to hold a normal conversation with her.

Was it possible that Brennan had come to a similar conclusion?

Stunned and slightly hopeful, Booth simply watched as she continued to cook.

As she began running water into the sink, Booth snapped to his senses. This could be his chance to put things right.

"Hey, uh, Bones?" He cleared his throat nervously.

"Mmm?" she replied.

"D'you… do you remember when I, uh, told you about the line? Between co-workers?"  
Brennan froze, suddenly feeling like she was trying to breathe underwater. "I… yes. After Epps."

Booth took a shuddering breath. "Well, I was thinking…" he jumped lightly off the bench and stood behind where Brennan clutched at the edges of the sink. "Maybe, if it's right… that line doesn't have to exist."

Brennan's hands slipped from the sides of the sink, plunging into the shallow water and grazing her knuckles over a sharp knife. "Ah! Ouch," she exclaimed, yanking her hand out of the water while the other reached for paper towel.

Launching in to action, Booth quickly snatched the paper towel from her grip and ripped off a section, taking her injured hand in his and wrapping the towel tightly around it. It was the first time that night that she had actually faced him.

He looked up to meet her eyes.

"OK?" he asked softly. She nodded, trembling a little. He rubbed the back of her hand gently. Slowly, Brennan lifted her face to meet his eyes.

In that moment, Booth knew that everything would be all right. She was terrified, confused, worried… he could read all that a second. And he knew that she was going to have to take the lead now, because if he pushed it any further, she would run in the other direction. But maybe, if he just waited, she would come to him.

Just for now, he was going to have to be the guy patching up her wounds and waiting for her to work out what it was she needed.

What she wanted.

Brennan withdrew her hand from Booth's, left reeling at their moment of silent communication. She felt like an idiot, treating Booth like he was contagious just because she had some sort of epiphany. Looking into his eyes, she just saw the same old Booth – rescuing her from one danger or another. In this case, the evils of kitchen utensils.

Brennan gestured to the pot simmering on the oven. "Do you mind?"

Booth shook his head. "I'll sort it out. Go ask Jared to patch that up for you, he's got some first aid training."

Brennan nodded and exited the kitchen, leaving Booth to serve the meal and clean where her blood had spilled on the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Well, I've got to say it – and you know how much I hate admitting this – Seeley was right. This is the best Mac and Cheese I've ever tasted." Jared said with finality, throwing his serviette down on his plate. Allison rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"You'd better enjoy it," Mike said. "Tempe bled over this."  
They all chuckled, sending Brennan red. "It's Seeley's fault. He distracted me."

Allison's eyes glittered mischievously as she looked to her son. He frowned warningly.

"Why don't we clean up?" Shelly offered, poking her husband.

Brennan began to object. "I can -."

"Nope," Booth said, shaking his head at her. "You cooked. You don't clean. And anyway," he smiled at her bandaged hand. "I'd like to see you washing dishes with that."

Brennan scowled.

"Come on," Booth said, pulling out her chair. "Let's go watch Finding Nemo with the kids."  
Brennan's eyebrows knitted together. "Who's Nemo? Why is he lost?"  
Booth rolled his eyes. "It's a Disney movie about talking fish, and if you dare analyse it…" He escorted her through to the lounge where the three kids were already lying on the floor, waiting for the film to start. Booth pressed play before joining Brennan on the couch.

He found it surprisingly easy to act like everything was normal between them. With his arm slung along the back of the couch and Brennan sitting closer to him than perhaps necessary, Booth realised that they had been pretending for a long time. They were well practised at acting like there was nothing more than friendship between them.

Booth shook his head. Enough. Just enjoy the movie, he told himself sternly.

"This is ridiculous!" Brennan whispered, leaning over to him. "How are children expected to develop an accurate understanding of the world if-."

Booth promptly cut her off by wrapping his arm around her and clamping his hand over her mouth. "Shh. Just enjoy."

He left his hand there until the shock receded from her eyes and was replaced by annoyance. With a smirk, he moved his hand from her mouth to her shoulder, scooting closer to her so that she fit perfectly under his arm.

Brennan almost sighed with relief. They could still be normal.

She snuggled subtly against Booth's side, finding a comfortable position in which to enjoy the ridiculous movie.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"… and they all lived happily ever after," Brennan finished, closing the book and resting it on the bedside table. Lexie had begged her to read Cinderella before they went to sleep – despite the fact that it was way past the children's bedtimes – and the boys had for some reason decided that they wanted to listen too.

The three children huddled in the double bed that the twins had been sharing, sleepily listening to the end of the story.

Brennan couldn't hold back a smile at the peaceful children. She had grown quite fond of the three of them over the last few days.

"Tempe," Ben said huskily. Brennan stood up and walked to his side of the bed.

"What is it, Ben?" She asked, smoothing the blankets over him.

"Are you and Uncle Seeley going to get married like Prince Charming and Cinderella?"

Brennan blinked. "Uh, no, Ben. Your uncle and I – I mean…" she trailed off helplessly.

"Do you love my uncle?" he continued sleepily.

Brennan bit her lip. "Yes," she whispered.

"And he loves you," James added from next to Ben, suddenly awake.

"So why don't you get married?" Ben finished.

Brennan forced a smile. "Goodnight."

She shut the door quietly behind her, leaning heavily on the frame as she considered the wisdom of 6-year-olds.


	11. Chapter 11: AUTHORS NOTE

OK this is just a quick note to promise that I will have an update – last chapter – tomorrow!

I've just moved to uni and Internet has been a hassle and life is crazy, so I apologise!

Thank you so much for all the reviews, they are fantastic to read and inspire me to write more.

I don't think I will do a full-blown sequel to this one, but I've got a few ideas of future moments that I would like to turn into a string of one-shots.

I have one other Bones story/one-shot, based on having seen Booth's funeral scene where Bones punches him. I know little about the rest of the storyline, so I am reluctant to publish it, but I will if requested!

Thanks for everything!


	12. Chapter 12

Last Chap! Thanks for everything! Enjoy!

"Bones," Booth called, extending the 'o' and as a result sounding like a petulant child. "Are you ready yet?"

Brennan threw open the door to her room, catching Booth in the stomach with the door handle.

"Hey!"

"If you hadn't spent the last fifteen minutes whinging outside my door, you would not have been hurt. Therefore, this is your fault," Brennan said, her tone daring him to challenge her.

Booth backed down. "Can I help?" he asked meekly.

Brennan snorted and threw him a bag. "I'm done." She grabbed another bag herself and exited the room, following Booth out to the SUV in front of the house. Once their things were securely in the trunk, the pair returned to the house, where Booth's family waited to bid them farewell.

"Drive safe, you hear me?" Mike said in a low voice as he embraced his son. "Those roads - ."

"Yes, Dad, I know," Booth sighed, hugging him back. Mike patted his shoulder and moved to Brennan while Booth wrestled with Jared.

"You make sure you come back soon," Mike said, simply taking Brennan's hand. She smiled, taken off-guard by his kindness.

"I will," she promised, and found herself meaning it.

"Good," Allison said, pushing her husband out of the way. "Cause I like you a hell of a lot better than the last 'friend' of Seeley's that I met."  
Brennan caught Booth's eye over Allison's shoulder as the woman pulled her in for a hug, both trying not to laugh. When Allison released Brennan and began fussing over her son, Brennan swapped positions with Booth and farewelled Jared and his family.

"It was nice to meet you, Tempe," Jared said warmly, hugging her. Brennan pondered the fact that it felt like a slightly off Booth-hug.

"You too." She noticed that Shelly said nothing of the sort, merely kissing her cheek. Jared's eyes twinkled and he pulled Brennan back to him.

"Don't worry. She'll come around."

Brennan looked at him curiously as he pulled away, before turning to say goodbye to the kids. After hugging each in turn, Lexie solemnly handed her a piece of paper. Brennan flipped it over to see an array of stick figures standing around a box-like house.

"That's you," Ben said eagerly, clearly having helped his sister. James pushed his way in too, acting as Ben's pointer by indicating to a tall, brown-headed person, holding hands with another tall, brown-headed person. "And that's uncle Seeley."  
Brennan swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thank you very much," she managed.

Over the other side of the foyer, Booth watched her with a soft smile. His mother wrapped an arm around his neck. "Boy, don't you dare screw this one up."  
He smiled tightly, kissing his mother on the cheek. "I'm doing my best, Ma."

Deciding that they best leave before his mother offered similar advice to Brennan, Booth called out to her loudly. "Hey, Bones, come on!"

Allison sighed. "Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?"

Booth grinned impishly. "Cause Parker will be home tomorrow."  
Jared raised an eyebrow. "You never were good at Math, but I'm pretty sure even you can work out that it's not a 24 hour drive."  
Brennan decided to butt in. "He left the house a mess and he refuses to give Rebecca another reason to tell him off."  
Booth rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Bones."

"What? It's the truth!"  
Booth slung an arm across her shoulders and led to her to the door. "Yeah, but it's one of those truths that don't necessarily have to be told."

They waved as they reached the SUV, still arguing. "The truth is the truth, you can't rate it in importance!"

"Yes, but sometimes…" Booth trailed off, watching her climb into the passenger seat without question. "What are you doing?"

Brennan paused with one foot in the car. "Getting in?"

"You didn't even ask to drive." Booth said flatly, baffled.

Brennan searched her brain for an answer that didn't involve her admitting that she was too distracted to care. "I – Well, statistically, the odds would not have been in my favour. So I decided to save myself the time by not arguing. "

Booth frowned. "Right." He let her get completely into the car, shaking his head to clear it before moving to the driver's side.

As they pulled out onto the road, Brennan cast one look back at his waving family, and felt something more than the longing she had been experiencing over the last three days.

In that moment, what she felt was a little closer to belonging.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you OK, Bones? You've hardly said a word since we left."

Brennan had been bizarrely quiet. No insults, no arguments over the radio… nothing. And when she was quiet and un-annoying, he worried.

"Why do you want to get married?" She asked quietly. "Is there another reason, discounting religion and tradition?" He blinked in surprise, wondering if he had imagined the pleading note in her voice.

"Jeeze, Bones…" He paused for thought. "I guess, because, for me… marriage is promising someone that you'll love them forever."

He saw her mouth open and decided to cut her off. "I know you can be committed without a piece of paper. And I understand that. But marrying someone is making a firm, solid promise to them – with witnesses, to show that you never intend to break that promise – that you'll always be there. That you'll always take care of them, and love them. I want to get married, not just for a wedding but because I want to have someone who I can promise that to. And who would promise that back."  
Brennan nodded, her eyes locked straight ahead despite Booth's efforts to reach her. He couldn't help but wonder where that came from.

"I think I want to get married."

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice as Booth nearly swerved off the road.

"Is that hypocritical of me? I know I have mentioned a few times my lack of belief in marriage. I guess I just never saw an example of it working before," she mused.

Booth, having finally slowed his heartbeat after figuring that she wasn't proposing, swallowed the lump in his throat and replied. "You're human, Bones, you're allowed to change your mind."

"And kids," she continued. "I – I think I might want a family, Booth! And maybe," she glanced up at him for the first time, and his heart melted at the confusion he saw in her eyes. "Maybe I wouldn't screw it up. Maybe, if I had the right person with me, I wouldn't make the mistakes that my parents did."  
Floored, Booth tried for a joke. "Do you have a candidate in mind, Bones?"

Her eyes flickered down to her hands. "Logically speaking, you would make an ideal partner."

This time, Booth did run off the road.

"Wha – what did you say?" He gasped.

"You and I work well together, and we have physics, and – ."

"Chemistry," Booth interrupted dully.

Brennan shot him a look. "Chemistry. Our differences compliment one another's shortcomings. And, technically, we are both good breeders." Her voice was flat and matter-of-fact.  
Booth tried to breath steadily and focus his eyes on the road. Failing that, he pulled over.

Brennan glanced up in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"Bones," he began tightly. "If I let you drive, do you promise not to say another word on this until we get home?"  
She nodded, confusion and a hint of disappointment written on her face. He waited until she climbed out of her seat and began walking around the car before he slid over into her seat, not trusting himself to be outside the car at the same time that she was. It would not be a good idea for him to get carried away here.

As soon as they pulled back onto the road, Booth switched on the radio and turned it up, making conversation impossible.

_Two hours to go. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

He was out of his seat the moment she pulled up at her apartment building. Sighing in frustration and regret for the stupid way she had chosen to reveal her feelings, Brennan unclipped her seatbelt. She wanted nothing more than to go inside, run a hot bath and….

Her train of thought was interrupted as her door was thrown open and strong hands pulled her from the car, bringing her feet to rest on the ground and her back to be supported by the shiny black vehicle.

Booth's arms propped either side of her face.

"You do not get to make this an exercise in rational thinking, Bones," he breathed, leaning in so that his face was bare centimetres from hers. "You don't get to find a logical reason, or to make this," he waved his hand between them, "make sense. It doesn't make sense, OK? It just is." His mouth brushed against her cheek, and Brennan couldn't help but release a shuddering breath.

"This wouldn't be just a thing, would it?" She asked shakily, already knowing the answer as her hands came to rest on his hips.

"No."

"What if…" She closed her eyes, needing to escape his penetrating gaze. "What if I can't do marriage and children?"  
He shook his head, allowing his lips to graze her jaw line. "Then I'll still have you. And that's enough."

Her eyes opened with surprise. "Will it be?"

"Yes," he said quietly, his lips almost on hers. "I promise."  
With that, Brennan tilted her head up and closed the last gap between them, pressing her lips gently against his.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"We need to have rules," he said firmly as he led her upstairs. She turned around, pushing him against the wall and kissing him passionately. His hands pulled at her back, drawing her closer.

"Like what?" She murmured.

"Like when you feel that I'm getting too close and want to run away," he paused as she tried to avoid his gaze. He touched her chin. "When you get scared," he continued. "You hug me. And we work it out. There will be no running."

"Fine," she sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face back down to hers. "We still work together."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he agreed, kissing her back. Somehow, they reached her apartment. He unlocked it with the spare key she had given him.

She glared, the effect of her anger somewhat diminished by the fact that her arms were still around him. "You still only use that in emergencies."

"This classifies," he said, tossing the keys inside and scooping Brennan into his arms. He slammed the door shut behind them.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You make the best pancakes, as well as the best mac and cheese," Booth shook his head. "Are you really this perfect?"

"Don't get all… squashy. And don't expect me to get domestic," Brennan warned, pulling his shirt down in an attempt to cover more of her thighs.

He smirked. "I'm not an idiot, Bones. And it's mushy, by the way, not squashy. Come here," he pulled her away from the sink and back into his arms.

Their moment was cut short by the sound of Brennan's cell. She groaned, snatching it off the bench and pressing 'accept' without leaving the sanctuary of Booths arms.

"Brennan."

"Hey, Sweetie. You home?"

"Yeah, Ange," she smiled up at Booth. "I'm home."

"Great! So I was thinking, for New Years…"

"Actually, Ange," Brennan said, biting her lip as she smiled. "I'm spending New Years with my boyfriend."

"What? How the hell did you manage to find a boyfriend in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania?" Brennan paused to allow Angela time to think. Booth chuckled, able to hear every word. "Wait… Oh, my… Sweetie, is your boyfriend there with you now?"

Brennan smiled coyly. "Sure is."

"Put him on," Angela demanded.

Brennan handed the phone wordlessly to Booth. He wiggled his eyebrows at her before placing the phone against his ear. "Booth speaking."  
He placed the phone down gingerly on the bench and resumed kissing his girlfriend as Angela's squeal resonated around the apartment.


End file.
